What is the significance of the rain that falls at the end of the novel?

The moment when the first raindrops of the season fall upon the Grandfather near the end of the novel are meant to symbolize a cleansing. Though the drought had dragged on and on, and the month had been marked with violent episodes and injustice since the discovery of the Witch's body, the arrival of the rain suggests that there is hope for new beginnings, healing, and growth.