From blurb: The first new novel in four years from the beloved superstar author of Sarah's Key, a heartbreaking and uplifting story of family secrets and devastating disaster, in the tradition of THE NEST.
Beautifully written, I couldn't decide whether I was more interested in Linden Malegarde and his complex family dynamics or the Paris flood. Perhaps because I read the book so soon after watching the videos of the 2018 flood, the descriptions of the flooding of an ancient city were especially vivid.
A thoughtful book that inches up as the Seine rises--slow and deliberate. The Rain Watcher was as beautifully rendered as Linden Malegarde's photographs.
Read in April. Blog review scheduled for Oct. 9.
NetGalley/St. Martin's Press
Literary fiction. Oct. 23, 2018. Print length: 240 pages.
I like the way De Rosnay writes, but I have to ask, is this book as sad as her others?
ReplyDeleteI didn't read Sarah's Key, but this one is more a study of a family and their relationships. The father has a stroke when the family gets together in Paris, and as the river rises and the city floods, the current stress is exacerbated by events. There are some difficulties between Linden and his parents because of his life style, but love makes itself clear despite the differences.
DeleteI love that cover. I have a thing for rain. Maybe because we get so little of it where I live. I would like to read this one. I haven't read anything by this author before, but I know how well loved Sarah's Key is.
ReplyDeleteRemember the Paris flood in early 2018? I think that is why the descriptions carried so much weight with me. The novel is a thoughtful one, but the dangers created by the flood keep up the tension.
DeleteI still haven't read Sarah's Key! Love a Paris setting and that cover is beautiful so of course going on my list :)
ReplyDeleteThe cover is beautiful, isn't it? The descriptions of the flooding are remarkable--especially as the worst flooding in 50 years hit Paris in January of 2018. I had all of those pictures in mind as I read the book.
DeleteOh wow, this sounds wonderful and heartbreaking. I don't know this author, or this title, but I will certainly be looking out for them both after this review.
ReplyDeleteA thoughtful book about family relationships, The Rain Watcher kept me engaged with Linden and his family as the Seine overflowed its banks. The lyrical prose creates vivid visual scenes.
DeleteThis sounds like a wonderful read, and I love that cover!
ReplyDeleteI really liked the book, and the cover is gorgeous, isn't it?
DeleteI'm echoing Melody, because the cover is what struck me. Love it! This would be a good book to save for one of the long dry spells we now suffer through during NW Louisiana's summer time when it's hard to remember too much rain.
ReplyDelete:) Yes, the cover is beautiful. Too little or too rain has been a problem in the last few years, hasn't it?
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