Rain Dragon

March 26, 2012
Screenwriter and author Raymond (Livability) puts a fresh spin on an old notion in his new novel. Damon and Amy are L.A. professionals who pull up stakes and begin anew at an organic farm located near—where else?—Portland, Ore. Although it takes time for them to fit into the new community, Amy eventually becomes assistant to a beekeeper, and Damon a “marketing guerrilla” for the farm’s products. But their relationship founders, and Amy separates from Damon. Peter Hawk, the farm’s charismatic founder, asks Damon to join him in a new venture—using Peter’s New Age philosophies to start a management consultancy for companies. Damon sets himself to the task vigorously as he cautiously tries to win back Amy, discovering that success in one may lead to failure in the other. Although the low-key story lacks drama, the author holds the reader’s attention with the crystalline purity of his prose. There’s pleasure to be derived from his meticulous observations of how systems work and people think. In the end, fans of the author’s idiosyncratic screenplays for Wendy and Lucy, Meek’s Cutoff, and Mildred Pierce (co-written with Todd Haynes) will find the same qualities in this intelligent novel. Agent: Jennifer Carlson, Dunow, Carlson & Lerner.

May 1, 2012
The plaid vibe and rainy weather of contemporary Portland, Ore., is the backdrop for Raymond's second novel, about the quest for love, authenticity and organic produce. When the book begins, Amy and Damon are lost, and at a loss. They find themselves in a cul-de-sac in the outer suburbs of Portland when they should be on an on-ramp to the freeway. This dilemma is given figurative form in the debate they begin about an owl perched on a jungle gym, a traditional symbol of wisdom that appears on the first page of a book filled with unwise characters. The Rain Dragon of the title is an organic cooperative of hardy soul, occupying the grounds of a former poor house and producing yogurt, honey, soap, flowers--the produce as diverse as the people. Amy and Damon are drawn north from L.A. to this place, hoping to cure their malaise. The book focuses on Damon, who discovers that things are not all that different in the land of yogurt and honey than they were amongst the palms, exhaust and plastic surgery. Damon's evolution parallels his relationship with Peter, the co-op's charismatic founder. As Damon is drawn into Peter's orbit, voluntarily doing the dirty work for a company with an improbably changing mission, he begins to realize why he undertook this journey north in the first place. What happens to Damon, a capable man, as he discovers his talents are wholly unsuited to the stable and sustainable life he desires? The book's most compelling question remains open, inconclusive and as unsettled as the characters' lives.

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March 1, 2012

Six years into their relationship, Damon and Amy, looking for a simpler life away from Los Angeles, end up at Rain Dragon, an organic, communal farm in an idyllic setting in Oregon. Damon, a CPA for a PR firm, soon feels inept and useless. By contrast, Amy loves the farm life, easily stepping in to help with beekeeping. Damon pushes along out of love for Amy. His luck turns when Peter, Rain Dragon CEO, enlists him for the PR team to help design a new low-fat yogurt tub. While Damon becomes indispensible as Peter's right-hand man, Amy turns argumentative and negative, moving in with Linda, the main beekeeper. Damon impetuously plans a romantic getaway to win Amy back, but when he pops in on her, he finds Peter in her bed. Damon leaves Rain Dragon completely. Now at loose ends, he waits with enduring hope for a sign that Amy will return. VERDICT With sly humor, Raymond, an award-winning short story writer (Livability) with his hand in successful screenwriting, has a bit of fun with the overly virtuous life at an organic farm, revealing cracks in the too-perfect facade while portraying a waning relationship. Raymond's work deserves the spotlight and is highly recommended.--Donna Bettencourt, Mesa Cty. P.L., Grand Junction, CO

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2012
Rain Dragon is the organic farm where Damon and his girlfriend, Amy, decide to seek a change from the stressful life of L.A. With high hopes, they sell their belongings, leave their jobs behind, and head to Oregon to immerse themselves in a simpler lifestyle. But once on the farm, Damon and Amy must redefine themselves, making new friends and setting new life goals. Amy fits in quickly, finding a niche for herself in the apiary, and Damon eventually settles into a public-relations position, but the simpler life isn't what they expected, and Damon soon finds that he and Amy are following different paths. Conveyed with realism and honesty, Damon's struggle to acclimate to the farm and maintain his relationship with Amy will connect with many readers. Raymond expertly captures the emotions of personal growth and inner turmoil while bringing the Oregon setting to life with descriptive language reminiscent of that in his first novel, The Half Life (2004). Deep characters offset by a light tone make this work about dreams and realities an enjoyable read.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)