Rain Falls Like Mercy

The powerful concluding volume of Todd’s trilogy about the Paint family (after Sun Going Down and Come Again No More) follows the clan from 1941 to 1949 as they deal with the vicissitudes of Wyoming weather, the fortunes of war, and the depredations of a warped killer. Three generations of Paints, from patriarchal twins Eli and Ezra down to Eli’s grandsons, Ben and Bobby, share story space with Eli’s much younger, Mexican-born wife, Juanita; Eli’s arch enemy, oil tycoon William C. Bury; and Bury’s sons, Lon and Pardo. Todd’s vivid language is perfectly suited to the epic sweep of his narrative, whether describing the chaos of a U.S. naval squadron enduring kamikaze attacks off Okinawa, where Bobby is a gunner aboard the battleship Tennessee, or the extraordinary efforts by Eli and his ranch hands to save their stock during the terrible blizzard of 1949. The evil of Pardo, small, handsome, and vicious, permeates the tale from beginning to end, but so does the daily bravery of the unforgettable Paints. (Nov.)