The Sound of Rain by Sarah Loudin Thomas

"Judd Markley is a hardworking coal miner who rarely thinks much past tomorrow until he loses his brother--and nearly his own life--in a mine cave-in. Vowing never to enter the darkness of a mine again, he leaves all he knows in West Virginia to escape to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. It's 1954, the seaside community is thriving, and Judd soon hires on with a timber company". 

This the first book I've read by author Sarah Loudin Thomas and I have to say I loved it and was thoroughly impressed by her writing.  Having been to Kentucky, West Virginia and Myrtle Beach I was immersed with the story from the start.  When Judd is trapped in a cave-in at the mine and loses his brother to the disaster, I was caught up in the story.  I have loved West Virginia as well as Kentucky.  The characters were real, authentic, charming and warm.  When Judd moves to Myrtle Beach, he is so out of his comfort level and the area.  He quickly gets a job at a Timber Company and is recognized for his  hard work ethics and promoted.  He also strikes up a friendship with the bosses daughter, Larkin, which could be a mistake.  A hurricane hits the coast and he is thrown into a new type of disaster, along with the budding relationship.  When the bosses daughter shares her heart's desire to minister to the Appalachian people, he wonders if they'll ever find their way together.  There were so many twists and turns in the story and it kept me reading, wanting to see how the couples differences would play out.  I would rate this story a 10 star book.
Now that I've read one of the author's books, I'm anxious to read more of her writing.  
Disclaimer:  I received a free copy of this book from  Bethany House, a division Baker Publishing Group.
No review, positive or otherwise, was required; all opinions are my own.