56 pages 1 hour read

Lynda Mullaly Hunt

Shouting at the Rain

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2019

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Background

Authorial Context: Lynda Mullaly

Lynda Mullaly Hunt is an American writer, speaker, and English teacher currently living in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The youngest of five children, she lost her brother just before his fourth birthday, an event that impacted her deeply and inspired her to write song lyrics in memory of her brother, beginning her interest in writing. She grew up in Connecticut and gained two degrees in education from the University of Connecticut. She became an elementary school teacher and began writing stories for students so they could learn how to correct grammatical errors.

In the Afterword, Hunt explains that she “struggled” as a child and felt that she was unlucky when she was in middle school. Like Delsie, she struggled with friendships, had parents “who could not be available” to her (271), and came from a family that shopped at estate sales and owned a broken car. However, in high school, a friend pointed out that she was lucky, prompting Hunt to reconsider her situation and to “shine a light upon [her] blessings rather than [her] struggles” (271). The Importance of Changing Perspectives is a core theme of Shouting at the Rain.

In her adult life, Hunt moved to Cape Cod, fulfilling her childhood desire to live in Massachusetts, and she identifies strongly with the area’s nature and community.