THE GIFT OF RAIN
Set during the tumult of World War II, on the lush Malayan island of Penang, The Gift of Rain
tells a riveting and poignant tale about a young man caught in the tangle of wartime loyalties and
deceits.
In 1939, sixteen-year-old Philip Hutton – the half-Chinese, half-English youngest child of the
head of one of Penang’s great trading families – feels alienated from both the Chinese and British
communities. He at last discovers a sense of belonging in his unexpected friendship with Hayato
Endo, a Japanese diplomat.
Set during the tumult of World War II, on the lush Malayan island of Penang, The Gift of Rain
tells a riveting and poignant tale about a young man caught in the tangle of wartime loyalties and
deceits.
In 1939, sixteen-year-old Philip Hutton – the half-Chinese, half-English youngest child of the
head of one of Penang’s great trading families – feels alienated from both the Chinese and British
communities. He at last discovers a sense of belonging in his unexpected friendship with Hayato
Endo, a Japanese diplomat. Philip proudly shows his new friend around his adored island, and in
return Endo teaches him about Japanese language and culture, and trains him in the art and
discipline of aikido. But such knowledge comes at a terrible price. When the Japanese savagely
invade Malaya, Philip realizes that his mentor and sensei – to whom he owes absolute loyalty – is
a Japanese spy. Young Philip has been an unwitting traitor, and must now work in secret to save
as many lives as possible, even as his own family is brought to its knees.
- Weinstein Books
- Paperback
- May 2009
- 435 Pages
- 9781602860742
Buy the Book
$16.99
About Tan Twan Eng
Tan Twan Eng was born in Penang, Malaysia. He divides his time between Kuala Lumpur and
Cape Town. The Gift of Rain, his first novel, was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2007
and has been translated into Italian, Spanish, Greek, Romanian, Czech and Serbian. He is also
the author of The Garden of Evening Mists, shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2012 and
winner of the 2012 Man Asian Literary Prize and the 2013 Walter Scott Prize for Historical
Fiction.
Praise
“Glorious…Rain is a gift indeed, as robustly absorbing as it is achingly poignant.”
—USA Today
“Eng’s graceful prose evokes a time and place that is little known or remembered now, making it
both exotic and familiar, and his beautiful narrative is woven with strong images and
characters…The Gift of Rain is a gift to read.”
—San Francisco Chronicle
“[A] remarkable debut saga of intrigue and aikido…Eng’s characters are as deep and troubled as
the time in which the story takes place, and he draws on a rich palette to create a sprawling
portrait of a lesser explored corner of the war…measured, believable and enthralling.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“A riveting tale… [Tan Twan Eng] writes with deep insight into the history and topography of
his native homeland and with deep feeling for its natural beauties.”
—The Washington Post
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