The Gift of Rain (small-format edn)
Tan Twan Eng
Longlisted for 2007 Man Booker Prize for Fiction
'Novels like this remind me us that there is always more to conflict than good guys and bad guys. It's redemptive story, and well worth taking your time over.'
Lachlan Jobbins (Good Reading)'The Gift of Rain is a riveting book about loyalty, honour and courage. It asks: How does an individual make moral decisions and carry them out in the face of conflicting loyalties and values?
It requires an exceptionally assured writer to do justice to such a theme, but first-time novelist Tan Twan Eng spins out his complex, nuanced story with skill and grace. His style is assured and clear, his imagery powerful, often beautiful.'
Rick Sullivan (Adelaide Advertiser)'The Gift of Rain is a powerful first novel about a tumultuous and almost forgotten period of history.'
(The Times Literary Supplement)Penang, 1939. Sixteen-year-old Philip Hutton is a loner. Half English, half Chinese and feeling neither, he discovers a sense of belonging in an unexpected friendship with Hayato Endo, a Japanese diplomat. Philip shows his new friend around his adored island of Penang, and in return Endo trains him in the art and discipline of aikido.
But such knowledge comes at a terrible price. The enigmatic Endo is bound by disciplines of his own and when the Japanese invade Malaya, threatening to destroy Philip’s family and everything he loves, he realises that his trusted sensei — to whom he owes absolute loyalty — has been harbouring a devastating secret. Philip must risk everything in an attempt to save those he has placed in mortal danger and discover who and what he really is.
With masterful and gorgeous narrative, replete with exotic and captivating images, sounds and aromas — of rain swept beaches, magical mountain temples, pungent spice warehouses, opulent colonial ballrooms and fetid and forbidding rainforests — Tan Twan Eng weaves a haunting and unforgettable story of betrayal, barbaric cruelty, steadfast courage and enduring love.
'Vivid … strong narrative … rich in imagery and action … I was so totally hooked that everything else had to be put on hold until I had finished it.'
Sharon Bakar (The Star)'Tan Twan Eng has taken the raw material of history and woven a deeply moving tale of a man’s life … A richly rewarding read.'
(Cape Times)'What distinguishes The Gift of Rain is its wistful and surprisingly earnest supernaturalism ... this is an accomplished, if eccentric, debut.'
Ed Lake (Telegraph.co.uk)'Gift of Rain is a rich and rewarding historical novel.'
Mark Rubbo (Readings Monthly)'Eng's writing is beautiful and sensuous, whether he describes a temple full of slithering snakes, the smells of cooking foods or the light of hundreds of fireflies caught in mosquito netting. The Gift of Rain is a splendidly written tale about the consequences of war and friendship.'
Arlene McKanic (Book Page)Tan Twan Eng
Tan Twan Eng was born in Penang, but lived in various places in Malaysia as a child. He studied law through the University of London, and later worked as an advocate and solicitor in Kuala Lumpur. He has a first-dan ranking in Aikido and is a strong proponent for the conservation of heritage buildings. He has spent the last year traveling around South Africa, and currently lives in Cape Town where he is working on his second book.
Website: http://www.tantwaneng.com/
Buy from Readings
Format: Pb
Extent: 448pp
Size: 198mm x 128mm
ISBN (13): 9781921372346
RRP: $27.95
Pub date: November 2008
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