Soft Rain

By Cornelia Cornelissen

A young Cherokee girl faces the Trail of Tears, seeking hope and family reunion.

3.9/5 Goodreads · 1,031 ratings

128 pages· 19,900 words· Est. 3 hour read

$6.99Save 4%

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Bookroo's summary

In 1838, nine-year-old Soft Rain's world shatters when soldiers force her and her mother to leave their Cherokee home. As they endure the harrowing Trail of Tears, Soft Rain's knowledge of the white man's language reveals the harsh journey ahead. Amidst loss and hardship, her spirit is rekindled upon reuniting with her father, a leader determined to guide their people to safety. Will their courage be enough to overcome the darkness and find a new beginning?

From the publisher

It all begins when Soft Rain’s teacher reads a letter stating that as of May 23, 1838, all Cherokee people are to leave their land and move to what many Cherokees called the land of darkness. . .the west. Soft Rain is confident that her family will not have to move, because they have just planted corn for the next harvest but soon thereafter, soldiers arrive to take nine-year-old, Soft Rain, and her mother to walk the Trail of Tears, leaving the rest of her family behind. Because Soft Rain knows some of the white man’s language, she soon learns that they must travel across rivers, valleys, and mountains. On the journey, she is forced to eat the white man’s food and sees many of her people die. Her courage and hope are restored when she is reunited with her father, a leader on the Trail, chosen to bring her people safely to their new land. Praise for Soft Rain: An eye-opening introduction to this painful period of American history.–Publisher’s Weekly The characters themselves transform a sorrowful story of adversity into a tale of human resilience.–Kirkus Reviews This gentle child’s-eye view will move readers enormously.–Jane Yolen

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