It's the fall of 1917, and the people in Canela, Texas are shocked when Carolyn Wentworth, believed to be nothing more than a beautiful social butterfly, volunteers to go to France as a nurse's aid. She'll be back in a month, they predict. But there's more to Carolyn than anyone realizes. Though she's appalled by the conditions in the hospital, she will not admit that her impulsive decision may have been the biggest mistake of her life. Instead, she sets out to prove that humor can heal. To the patients' amusement, she even resorts to wearing a clothespin on her nose when she empties bedpans, and she sees nothing wrong with dancing in the rain.
Clothespin Carolyn, as she's soon named, is a hit with the soldiers, much to the annoyance of Dwight Hollins, a brilliant physician who the nurses are convinced has never learned to smile. Doesn't Carolyn understand that war is serious? Someone needs to tell her that, and that someone is Dwight.
Carolyn and Dwight's sparring soon becomes the talk of the hospital - causing the patients to accuse them of being like an old married couple. They're wrong, of course. "Love" is not a word that applies to them until the day Carolyn impulsively promises that she and Dwight will dance on Christmas Day to entertain the patients. Though it's the last thing either of them intends, soon they're learning much more than the latest dance steps.
From Booklist
Determined to prove that there is more to her than her pretty appearance, Carolyn Wentworth leaves her small Texas hometown to volunteer as a nurse's aid in France, where she discovers the terrible costs of World War I. Determined to do her own small part to cheer her patients up, Carolyn begins sharing bits of her "grandmother's" wisdom, and her attempts at humor are appreciated by everyone except Dwight Hollins, a gifted but emotionless physician. Even if she is the best nurse he has ever worked with, Dwight has little time for quirky, impulsive Carolyn, but their spirited "discussions" gradually blossom into a friendship. They each have someone waiting for them at home, but they are soon tempted by the idea that they could be something more than just friends and coworkers. With its delicately romantic love story and intriguing WWI setting, the first in Harte's new trilogy is an excellent choice for libraries where sweet historicals are popular. John Charles
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Review
"A great read with memorable, realistic characters." -- Affaire de Coeur
"The story of Carolyn and Dwight is sweet and tender, and they, too, come alive within the first few pages. Their inner conflicts are well developed and explored with the brutal war as their backdrop, making for a highly entertaining read. Dancing in the Rain is a touching, heartwarming story that could not be any better. I highly recommend this novel." - Astrid Kinn -- Romance Reviews Today
"Two thumbs up! Dancing in the Rain is required reading for those end of summer blues." - Brenda Ramsbacher -- Scribblers