The Passing Storm: A Novel by Christine Nolfi

 

"Secrets were corrosive, especially when they were bottled up for too long. Rae knew this from bitter experience---her own secrets had weakened her relationship with her late daughter and tested her father's love and his patience as he reluctantly learned to live with them."

       -from the novel

A novel I selected from  Amazon First Reads, The Passing Storm was quite good. There was enough mystery to keep me engaged and even a hint of romance toward the end. I rated it a 3.

Rae Langdon lives on a 40-acre farm in Ohio with her aging father. It is getting harder and harder to maintain the property, particularly when they are both grieving the loss of Rae's mother and teenage daughter, Lark. Both family members were victims of seemingly freak accidents. In fact, the reader does not know much detail about Lark's death for quite a while.

Quinn Galecki is a teenage boy, close friend of the deceased Lark, who has neglectful and abusive parents. He is offered refuge by the Langdons, much to the displeasure of his father when he finds out. 

As intimated by Rae in the quote above, the story is built around several corrosive secrets---her own and others, including Quinn. These are revealed gradually as the plot progresses.