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Cornelissen, C. (1998). Soft Rain. New York: Delacorte Press. $14.95. [ISBN: 0-385-32253-4]

Soft Rain is a nine-year old Cherokee girl. With the receipt of a sad letter, she and all the Cherokee children lose the right to go to school. Without warning, white soldiers arrive at her house and command Soft Rain and her mother to go with them immediately. They are forced to leave her blind grandmother, father and young brother. Soft Rain can no longer listen to grandmother to tell stories any more, and cannot collect beautiful flowers for her grandmother any more. Soft Rain and her mother are forced to begin the long and dangerous adventure from their beloved North Carolina to the West. Across rivers and over mountains, through rain and snow, during the sad and dramatic travel, they do not have enough food and clothing. Many old men and young children die during the Trail of Tears, and Soft Rain loses her sister, Green Fern. Soft Rain misses her grandmother, father, young brother and Green Fern. Many questions arise about their future: Where are they going? When will she see her family again? What will become of them all?

This is a good book for children and young people who want to know more about this special episode of U.S. history. Soft Rain’s story of strength and hope in the face of incredible hardship is a testament to all those who traveled the Trail of Tears. Critic Jane Yolen gives advance praise for Soft Rain: “This gentle, poignant child’s-eyes view of the events along the Trail of Tears will move readers enormously, as much because of the quiet determination of the young protagonist, Soft Rain, as by the unfolding inhumanities of the enforced march.”

Reviewed by Hongzhi Ma, Student, Library and Information Science Program, Wayne State University, al9258@wayne.edu

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