---
product_id: 3770467
title: "The Gift of Rain: A Novel"
price: "₩40111"
currency: KRW
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 8
url: https://www.desertcart.kr/products/3770467-the-gift-of-rain-a-novel
store_origin: KR
region: South Korea
---

# The Gift of Rain: A Novel

**Price:** ₩40111
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- **What is this?** The Gift of Rain: A Novel
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## Description

desertcart.com: The Gift of Rain: A Novel: 9781602860742: Eng, Tan Twan: Books

Review: Insightful View of the Moral Conflict of War - I was first introduced to Tan Twan Eng through his book The Garden of Evening Mists. I have read both of these books through twice and would probably do it again. Tan Twan Eng writes beautifully. The Gift of Rain is an equally deeply moving, poignant and painful story. The narrative flows even while moving from present to the past,and the characters are drawn so convincingly that you can find empathy with each even during the most conflictive moments. It is a test of trust and betrayal as our protaganist takes the path towards understanding who he really is, what he wants to become, the obstacles placed within him and before him and his final acceptance of the consequences of his choices along the route to self discovery. and all of this during the most tumultuous times. Set in what was then Malaya before and during the 2nd World War it introduces us to the magnitude of the pain and suffering the people endured during Japan's invasion and occupation over a six year period including the impact of its brutal attack upon China. It also contrasts these with the more benign occupation of the British which neverless placed many hardship upon the native population. Eng's passion for his country and the beautiful images he creates for the reader take you into the very heart and soul of this beautiful country.
Review: Great Writing - I really enjoyed 'The Gift of Rain', despite the historical and technical inaccuracies. For one who has studied the military history of the region, reading about Australian troops in Penang in 1940 when none were in theater until 1941, or troops of the RNF wearing their red and white hackles on their slouch hats, or being the first to land in Penang (it was the Royal Marines) and so on doesn't detract from the narrative. It doesn't claim to be an accurate historical account although there is plenty of accurate historical detail included. it claims to be a story of people caught up in situations beyond their control, living and reliving their lives and as literature, it hits the mark. It was refreshing, as a writer and indie publisher, to see there were typos and formatting glitches in a book coming from a major publishing house. Even the big guys have gremlins when it comes to converting to .mobi, it seems. Again, none of these detracted from the power of the story and the presentation of the characters. Tan has done a superb job. It is a book that covers a few genre including historical fiction, literary fiction and even queer lit as the relationship between Philip Hutton and Endo-san is clearly a homosexual one as well as teacher-student, although this relationship is very nicely managed by Tan. As a martial artist myself who has trained in Aikijutsu and other arts, I enjoyed the many passages relating to the arts and training and they are intrinsic to the story. I look forward to reading more by this Malaysian author.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #86,516 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #643 in Contemporary Literature & Fiction #716 in Historical British & Irish Literature #2,674 in Literary Fiction (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars (7,173) |
| Dimensions  | 6 x 1.45 x 9 inches |
| Edition  | 34208th |
| ISBN-10  | 1602860742 |
| ISBN-13  | 978-1602860742 |
| Item Weight  | 1.15 pounds |
| Language  | English |
| Print length  | 450 pages |
| Publication date  | May 5, 2009 |
| Publisher  | Grand Central Publishing |

## Images

![The Gift of Rain: A Novel - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/A1PzR+NKFRL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Insightful View of the Moral Conflict of War
*by B***E on May 20, 2014*

I was first introduced to Tan Twan Eng through his book The Garden of Evening Mists. I have read both of these books through twice and would probably do it again. Tan Twan Eng writes beautifully. The Gift of Rain is an equally deeply moving, poignant and painful story. The narrative flows even while moving from present to the past,and the characters are drawn so convincingly that you can find empathy with each even during the most conflictive moments. It is a test of trust and betrayal as our protaganist takes the path towards understanding who he really is, what he wants to become, the obstacles placed within him and before him and his final acceptance of the consequences of his choices along the route to self discovery. and all of this during the most tumultuous times. Set in what was then Malaya before and during the 2nd World War it introduces us to the magnitude of the pain and suffering the people endured during Japan's invasion and occupation over a six year period including the impact of its brutal attack upon China. It also contrasts these with the more benign occupation of the British which neverless placed many hardship upon the native population. Eng's passion for his country and the beautiful images he creates for the reader take you into the very heart and soul of this beautiful country.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great Writing
*by P***Y on March 6, 2014*

I really enjoyed 'The Gift of Rain', despite the historical and technical inaccuracies. For one who has studied the military history of the region, reading about Australian troops in Penang in 1940 when none were in theater until 1941, or troops of the RNF wearing their red and white hackles on their slouch hats, or being the first to land in Penang (it was the Royal Marines) and so on doesn't detract from the narrative. It doesn't claim to be an accurate historical account although there is plenty of accurate historical detail included. it claims to be a story of people caught up in situations beyond their control, living and reliving their lives and as literature, it hits the mark. It was refreshing, as a writer and indie publisher, to see there were typos and formatting glitches in a book coming from a major publishing house. Even the big guys have gremlins when it comes to converting to .mobi, it seems. Again, none of these detracted from the power of the story and the presentation of the characters. Tan has done a superb job. It is a book that covers a few genre including historical fiction, literary fiction and even queer lit as the relationship between Philip Hutton and Endo-san is clearly a homosexual one as well as teacher-student, although this relationship is very nicely managed by Tan. As a martial artist myself who has trained in Aikijutsu and other arts, I enjoyed the many passages relating to the arts and training and they are intrinsic to the story. I look forward to reading more by this Malaysian author.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Beautiful Writing, Heartbreaking Personal Conflicts
*by T***S on September 17, 2013*

This is a lyrical portrait of WWII Penang, an exploration of conflicting loyalties and resolute friendship in the face of terrible realities, and a peek into an evolving multi-cultural society. The strong points of this novel are the writing, which manages to be both breath-taking and engaging, and also the personal conflicts that it describes in the protagonist. Philip is not always easy to like at each step of the book (although the author does give you time to get to know the character before things fall apart), but unlike other novels where an unsympathetic protagonist destroyed my interest in the story, this book prompted me to think deeply about how I would handle the same competing loyalties, and which path is better -- personally, for family, friends, and society. Novels that prompt this type of deep thought without coming off as at all preachy are rare, and I value the book for handling the issue so deftly. I have a couple minor quibbles. The first of which was the most distracting for me -- Philip witnesses and participates in quite a few atrocities, and while he seems to harbor no illusions about his role in them and is certainly appalled by what happened, I feel that in similar circumstances I would be significantly more scarred psychologically. Reading through these chapters is difficult, and while the author does a good job of explaining why the choices Philip made seemed the best to him at the time, he doesn't explain why the things he sees and participates in don't drive him mad. The second quibble is more of a personal aversion to the quick dips into visions of past lives, which just strikes me as hokey and unrealistic. You don't need those dips to explain his relationship with Endo-san. Their relationship is the center of the story and it stands clearly and beautifully on its own. Given my tendency to eye-roll at these glimpses, it's hard for me to feel comfortable with the necessity of the ending of their story. Overall, I loved the book and would highly recommend it to anyone interested in international fiction. However there are scenes of disturbing violence, and if you're the type of reader that doesn't enjoy a book that you know from the beginning is going to end badly, you won't enjoy the tension that laces this story. And it is heart-breaking, in the most beautiful way possible.

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*Product available on Desertcart South Korea*
*Store origin: KR*
*Last updated: 2026-02-12*