The Rain Watcher is a story with soul as it delves deep into the souls of its characters and their hidden fears, secrets, and loves. Its main character Linden Malegarde tells the of his family--his father Paul, mother Lauren, sister Tilia—when they all come together in Paris to celebrate Paul’s 70th birthday, although the river Seine is predicted to flood and it does during the course of the story’s events.

The original celebration was planned for the core family unit without Linden’s partner and Tilia’s husband. The turbulence that the floods bring also reflect within the member of the family as they reveal things about themselves that they have kept sealed all through their lives out of insecurity. What unites them is their love for one another, which is exposed through the flashbacks and conversations, despite the hardships the weather brings with its incessant rain and the Seine’s flooding during 2018.

Linden, a noted photographer, has traveled to Paris from the United States and misses his partner. His older sister Tilia, who has come from London, is married but unhappy yet tries to falsely shield and upraise her drunken husband. The reason for Linden and Tilia’s names is their father the arborist Paul’s preoccupation with the trees and nothing else. Linden’s American-born a stay-at-home mother Lauren is the one who has put together this celebration as this family has been apart for ten years.

There are several chance occurrences in the book such as Lauren an American living in France, Linden a Frenchman living in USA, and Tilia a French woman living in England. Add to this Paul’s failing health and the Seine taking over an unprepared city, and several conflicts and complications arise in the story’s fast-paced plot. The love and redemption, however, make up for all the difficulties this family goes through.

Although the few side stories that look into the events of the history rather than that of the characters may be taking the attention away from the original plot, the storytelling is still exquisite and the writer’s skills are incredible.

This is the second book I’ve read by this author and she has never disappointed me.

appreciating good writing, even though some readers have expressed negative views about the book as it is somewhat dark and dreary.

Linden and Tilia's characters plus the storytelling.

is Tatiana de Rosnay, the author of thirteen novels, including the bestselling Sarah's Key.

I loved reading it despite its bleakness and the showing of the difficulties of the people in Paris, especially those who were living around the river Seine when the flood took over the city.

In a few other reviews, the readers seem to dislike the book, but I think to come up with a winning story during a disaster has to show the impeccable skills of the learned and creative author. The ending is okay to good; yet, after such commotion during the main parts of the plot, this was understandable.

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Created Sep 12, 2019 at 5:01pm • Submit your own review...