CLOUDS WITHOUT WATER

A farmer tries to protect his family from the apocalyptic teachings of a charismatic preacher in this novel set in the 19th century.

After a 20-year absence, the Rev. William Miller returns to Calvary, New York, in 1844 to claim his birthright as the minister of the local Baptist church, a position his father, Samuel, held for a half-century. William shocks the town’s denizens by delivering a chillingly apocalyptic message: They are living at the end of time, and God’s judgment will soon be decisively delivered. He argues that his interpretations are scientifically exact, based on a mathematical decoding of the mysteries of Scripture. He even presents a date for the end of the world: Oct. 22, leaving the residents of Calvary about six months to prepare their souls. While some in the town are mesmerized by his powerful sermons and visions (“I see souls perishing by the thousands”), others are duly skeptical, like Henry Smith. The farmer is suspicious of William’s intentions, especially since he once tried to court Henry’s wife, Mary. But Henry finds himself in a delicate predicament, one masterfully depicted by Harper—he’s anxious that William’s rhapsodic teachings will entice his two youngest children, Benjamin and Rosemary, the latter of whom proves particularly susceptible to the minister’s bewitching rhetoric. The author limns a remarkably astute account of the psychology of belief, which often only turns to evidence that will legitimize a prior conviction, one deeply emotional in nature. In addition, he raises provocative questions about William’s own beliefs—it is fascinatingly unclear whether he is a madman, grifter, or some complex but difficult to define third option that includes elements of both. Henry’s challenge is beautifully daunting—he wants to save his family from William’s gloomy prognostications but also stay true to his own faith in God.

A thrilling drama, philosophically thoughtful and emotionally gripping.