Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
It's no surprise that water is super important when you're growing a garden, and boy do we hear about rain in Seedfolks.
For starters, there's the contest Sam starts for collecting water. Sure, it's a competition; but the gardeners all chip in to collect rain and use it to water their plants. So with all this teamwork, we're thinking rain has a lot to do with building community.
And sure enough, the rainstorm also has all the neighbors hanging out together. Take a look at Nora's description of the storm:
Then our solitary status ended, as a result of a downpour. When the rain came that day, the other gardeners all ran in the same direction, as if in a fire drill. We followed and found them sheltered beneath a shoe store's overhang two doors down, apparently their customary refuge. The small dry space forced us together. In fifteen minutes we'd met them all and soon knew the whole band of regulars. (10.7)
Without rain, Nora and Mr. Myles might not have gotten to know their neighbors from the garden. But with the help of the storm, now they've got plenty of new friendly faces.
So before you shout for the rain (rain) to go away, think about all the good it can bring.