Miracle in a Dry Season (38 page)

Then there are the friends who don’t necessarily write, but who gather around me to pray, support, and love on me. Meg Barbour, Christy Bennett, Jeannie Burns, Madeline Dillingham, Suzi Gibbs, Lisa McCallister, Carla McLendon, Jessie Ogle, Judy Ross, Rhonda Turpin, Buffy White, and Joan Wilson.

Penultimate thanks (isn’t that the
best
word?) go to the man who has been there every step of the way. Thanks for being patient—mostly—with the hours of writing, rewriting, social media, conferences, and so on. I literally couldn’t have done this without my husband, Jim Thomas, cheering me on. God knew what He was doing that night He rained out a football game.

Finally, ultimate thanks go to God. I don’t know why He made me a writer, but He did, and I know His plan is perfect. I thank Him for the gift of words and for the patient endurance to write them.

Sarah Loudin Thomas
is a fund-raiser for Black Mountain Home for Children, Youth and Families. She has published free-lance writing for
Now & Then
magazine as well as the Asheville
Citizen-Times
and the
Journey Christian Newspaper
. Her poetry has appeared in
Now & Then
,
Appalachian Heritage
, and the
Pisgah Review
. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Coastal Carolina University. She and her husband reside in Asheville, North Carolina. Learn more at 
www.SarahLoudinThomas.com
.

Reader Discussion Questions

1. When Perla shared Sadie’s parentage with Casewell, he judged her. In what ways do you judge other people? Have you ever kept information to yourself because you didn’t want to be judged?
   
2. John, Emily, and Casewell each deal with John’s cancer diagnosis differently. How have you handled difficult information in your life?
   
3. John assumes people are praying for him but doubts that it will have any effect. What effect do you think prayer has in people’s lives?
   
4. Perla says that things always work out—not necessarily the way we expect—but they work out. Do you agree with that statement? Why or why not?
   
5. People tried to explain Perla’s gift away by calling it witchcraft. How do we try to explain away the miraculous? Have you ever witnessed something you couldn’t explain?
   
6. Perla talks about people’s tendency to place labels on one another. How have you labeled others? How have you been labeled?
   
7. The community came together to help one another during the drought. How have you seen people come together in times of need?
   
8. Casewell is called upon to preach a sermon at church. If you had to preach a sermon, what topic would you choose? Why?
   
9. Casewell thinks he needs a lesson in wooing Perla. In your opinion, what’s the best way to show someone you care about them?
   
10. Perla feels unworthy of love—have you ever felt unworthy? What do you think makes people worth loving?
    
11. Although Emily has been kind to Perla, she has qualms when it comes to her son marrying a “scarlet woman.” Have you ever caught yourself having double standards?
    
12. Ultimately, just about everyone in the novel needed to be forgiven. Who do you need to ask for forgiveness? Who do you need to forgive? What stands in your way?
    

Resources:
bethanyhouse.com/AnOpenBook

Website:
www.bethanyhouse.com

Facebook:
Bethany House