Things to Do When It's Raining

Two families are torn apart by secret pasts and broken hearts—from Globe and Mail-bestselling author Marissa Stapley.

When secrets tear love apart, can the truth mend it?

Mae Summers and Noah Broadbent grew up together in the idyllic Summers’ Inn, perched at the edge the St. Lawrence river. Mae was orphaned at the age of six and Noah needed protection from his alcoholic father, so both were raised under one roof by Mae’s grandparents, Lilly and George. A childhood friendship quickly developed into a first love—a love that was suddenly broken by Noah’s unexpected departure. Mae grew up, got over her heartbreak, and started a life for herself in New York City.

After more than a decade, Mae and Noah find themselves pulled back to Alexandria Bay. Hoping to find solace within the Summers’ Inn, Mae instead finds her grandparents in the midst of decline and their past unravelling around her. A lifetime of secrets stand in the way of this unconventional family’s happiness. Will they be able to reclaim the past and come together, or will they remain separate islands?

From the bestselling author of Mating for Life comes a powerful story about guilt, forgiveness and the truth about families: that we can choose them, just as we choose to love.

"THINGS TO DO WHEN IT'S RAINING has heart and soul and guts, and it has achingly beautiful prose and characters so dear and real I couldn't bear to say goodbye when I reached its final page. It's a book about friendship and secrets, grief and regret, the peculiar shape of families and the redemptive nature of love. And it is, quite frankly, one of the best books I have read in a very long time." -Jennifer Robson, internationally bestselling author of Somewhere in France and After the War is Over

"A generous book about imperfect people, a novel about the family we choose, the mistakes we make, and how love, flawed and searching and messy, is the only path to forgiveness. It's also a gorgeously written page-turner, and when I finished it, I flipped right back to page one to savor it just a little bit more." Lauren Fox, author of Days of Awe

"Things to Do When It's Raining is the complex and moving saga of a non-traditional family with deep bonds and even deeper secrets. Set against the idyllic background of a far-flung seaside town, the finely-drawn characters of this novel test the limits of friendship, love, and forgiveness. A story that lingers long after the final page is turned." --Andrea Dunlop, author of Losing the Light

"Fans of Nicholas Sparks will adore Things to Do When It's Raining... Marissa Stapley's writing is a gift." -Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Orphan's Tale

"Profound and intimate, raw and real-Things to Do When It's Raining is hard to put down. Loved the ending but hated to have it end!" -Nan Rossiter, New York Times bestselling author of Firefly Summer

"Regrets, secrets, and hidden longings swirl beneath the surface of this beautifully atmospheric story of love found, lost, and rediscovered. I couldn't stop reading."--Shelley Noble, New York Times bestselling author of The Beach at Painter's Cove

"Written with compassion and insight, Things to Do When It's Raining is a truly captivating novel with exquisite prose and moments of bittersweet tenderness." -Nicola Moriarty, author of The Fifth Letter

This is one of the most charming novels I've read in years, and I loved every last page."--Jennifer Close, New York Times bestselling author of Girls in White Dresses, on Mating For Life

"Marissa Stapley's THINGS TO DO WHEN IT'S RAINING packs a serious punch. It's a tightly-woven story that beautifully illustrates how tragedy and human weakness can cause heartbreaking ripples for years and generations to come." -K.A. Tucker, USA TODAY Bestselling Author of He Will Be My Ruin