A lovely quiet and deep novel perfect for a contemplative Sunday afternoon. Received at ALA Midwinter 2018.

The first chapter of this book originated as an award winning short story, and it rightfully earned its praise. Consise, gripping and vibrant, the opening passages of The Driest Season introduce the warm, languid atmosphere of summer in rural Wisconsin. I adored how Meghan Kenny constructed the setting, and I also enjoyed Cielle's sincerity. She felt entirely human, sometimes quiet, subtely biting, and always thinking. Many passages ended with her thinking about history, the grandness of the universe, the atomic construction of the world, or religion. As a grieving teenager, the sporadic mix between the memories she posesses and the knowledge she gains feels like a realistic portrayal of struggling with unexpected grief.

I chose to still rate this three stars because I often found explicit descriptions of Cielle's emotion lacking. She didn't seem to react, or think as events occured. All her internal monologue was relegated to the end of the chapter or the scene. I would have appreciated more sprinkled throughout to add sustance to the novel's dialogue and interactions.

A decently written coming-of-age story set in rural Wisconsin. What I appreciated most was the author's willingness to tackle difficult subject matter--suicide, grief, change--from the perspective of a teenager. I also loved the setting and felt the author did a good job establishing a sense of place and time.

If you like lyrical prose and beautiful imagery, this book is for you.

Something prevented me from loving or connecting to this one...maybe it was the circularity or the lack of a narrative arc (unless the passage of time counts). But, individually, Kenny’s sentences are gorgeous.

Easy read. Easy to like the characters. Had hard time putting it down because I wanted to find out what happens

A beautifully written and memorable coming of age story

Gritty, sparse, emotion-centered prose about a small farming town facing draught and WWII's brutal consequences and about a teenage girl coming to terms with her father's death. Kenny captures the harsh realities of daily life in the heartland (Wisconsin) of America well. Read more like a novella than a novel.

I received this book in a Goodreads Giveaway and the publisher was kind enough to send a second copy when the first got lost in the mail. This is a quiet and moving story about sixteen-year-old Cielle coping with and trying to make sense of her father's death in rural Wisconsin as her life changes in other profound ways - her family's property is hit by a tornado, her neighbor goes off to war and her sister heads to Madison for college. The imagery was strong and pulled me in right away. I also appreciated the strong relationship Cielle's family had with the local Amish community. At less than 200 pages, this is a quick read and well worth it.