The Rainy Year…a novel set in northern Minnesota

 

 The Rainy Year explores generations of families—European immigrants and Native Americans—who made their home in northern Minnesota. Through vivid storytelling, the book reveals how the rugged landscape shaped their social, spiritual, and economic values, fostering a deep “sense of place” that rooted them to the land of rocks, trees, and lakes.

The narrative centers on a first-year science teacher who returns to his ancestral farm near Sturgeon Falls, a small town near the Canadian border. As he settles into his new life, he uncovers the community’s rich history through stories dating back to the 1930s. Along the way, he unravels long-hidden truths about his own origins, including the identities of his biological mother and father.

During the 1967–1968 school year, he was granted a one-year deferment from the draft by the Selective Service. But as he trained to become an educator, the shadow of the Vietnam War loomed large. Faced with mounting pressure, he wrestled with a life-altering decision: should he flee to Canada to avoid the draft, or serve his country, even if it meant risking his life?