Title:  It Happened One Hurricane

Author:  Carla Rossi

Publisher:  White Rose Publishing

Length:  Rosette

Page Count: 41

Rating: Sweet 

Release Date: 8-07-2009

Blurb:

When Pittsburgh native Amber Kensington moves to the Texas Gulf coast to take a job, hurricane season is the last thing on her mind. That is until a massive storm named Ike appears, destined to make a direct hit just miles from her apartment. Evacuation is the answer, but what happens when your car won’t cooperate?

Alex Clarke has seen his share of tropical weather, but it never gets any easier. A childhood experience with lightning has left him fearful of storms. Still, his greatest desire is to participate in his church’s outreach program and assist hurricane victims. Now he’s discovered his new neighbor is stranded. Can he convince her to go with him? And can Amber and Alex find God’s comfort and healing despite the raging storm?

Review:

E.L. Doctorow once said, “Good writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the reader- not the fact that it is raining, but the feeling of being rained upon.”  Author, Carla Rossi, completely masters that process in this charming short novel about a woman who faces a new fear and a man who is still struggling with an old one.   Her descriptions painted such a vivid picture in my mind that I felt like I was in the middle of the great storm.  I could feel the rain.  I could hear the wind as it howled outside my window.  I could see the devastation left in the wake of such a violent display of nature.

“It Happened One Hurricane” is the tale of Amber Kensington and Alex Clarke.  In a refreshing change of outlook, Rossi portrays her characters in a new light.  Gone are the stereotypes of the frantic female and the macho male.  Amber, who has never seen a hurricane before, is surprisingly calm and level-headed.  Alex, on the other had, is terrified to the point of being sick.  Sure, he tries to hide his feelings from others because he is embarrassed of what they will think of him, but it is still fantastic to see a male character in some state other than fearless and self-assured.  It gives him a “reality” that most heroic characters lack, and Alex Clarke is a hero.

The length of this story makes it easy to read in a single sitting, which is good because once you start, you won't want to put it down.  “It Happened One Hurricane” is the story of love, friendship, faith, and learning to face our fears.  It is an uplifting tale for readers of all ages.

Reviewed by:  Dana Rongione

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