Long ago, Natalie's mother faced an agonizing choice between the two people she loved most, and the difficult resolution to her predicament affects Natalie throughout her young life–fueling a season of teenage rebellion that results in the death of her best friend. <br><br>As a young woman, Natalie attempts to put her troubles behind her, ultimately finding solace in the arms of a man with close ties to the tragedy. Yet neither time nor love can liberate her from the past. Determined to confront her terrible guilt, Natalie embarks on a journey that will take her thousands of miles from home and straight into the life and heart of a man unlike any she has ever known. <br><br>Confronted with a decision that echoes the one her mother faced so many years before, Natalie finds herself drawn to two men–each of whom holds a claim to her heart. But the sins of her past must be confronted, and an escape from her guilt found, before her heart will be free to find its home. <br><br>Showing that God can forgive the gravest of sins, <i>After the Rains</i> beautifully illustrates that his forgiveness comes purely through loving mercy and grace, not by our human efforts to earn it.