--- product_id: 3770467 title: "The Gift of Rain: A Novel" price: "€ 30.83" currency: EUR in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.gr/products/3770467-the-gift-of-rain-a-novel store_origin: GR region: Greece --- # The Gift of Rain: A Novel **Price:** € 30.83 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The Gift of Rain: A Novel - **How much does it cost?** € 30.83 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.gr](https://www.desertcart.gr/products/3770467-the-gift-of-rain-a-novel) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description In the tradition of celebrated wartime storytellers Somerset Maugham and Graham Greene, Tan Twan Eng's debut novel casts a powerful spell. The recipient of extraordinary acclaim from critics and the bookselling community, Tan Twan Eng's debut novel casts a powerful spell and has garnered comparisons to celebrated wartime storytellers Somerset Maugham and Graham Greene. 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. Review: "We were beings capable mainly of love and memory - "We were beings capable mainly of love and memory. These capabilities are the greatest gifts given to us, and we do nothing else but live out the remembered desires and memories of our hearts." So says the narrator of this powerful, lyrical novel, and perhaps this is the overall message of the book too: despite the horrors of war, despite the difficult choices and mistakes, what is most important in the end is love an memory. This book is indeed a gift, and complex one--there are no easy answers here. The young Phillip Hutton is torn between the need to protect his family and his love and loyalty to his Japanese sensei, and his choices are difficult ones. Beyond the lyrical language and the ability to of this writer to capture, beautifully, a world long gone before his own birth, I was most captivated by this skill at characterization. I always believed in these characters. There were times I was frustrated with the decisions the young narrator made, but in the context of the book, it was always clear why he made those decisions, just as it was clear to me why other characters made very different decisions. I was also moved by this young writer's wisdom and maturity--this book is narrated by a much older Phillip, and his thoughts on his life and the consequences of his actions are moving and mature--with the kind of wisdom that does indeed come with age. I haven't read a book in a long time that lent itself to so much highlighting--there were so many passages of beauty and wisdom here, and the idea of these two people who loved each other across ages--a small but important part of the book--had a great power, as did the questions of predestination vs free will. And yet this book is always rooted, too, in the time and place, and the characters lives, and it is well-plotted and well paced. (I have to disagree here with readers who found it "boring" as there is plenty of action in this novel. It makes me think that those readers were not readers of literary fiction, and perhaps had been expecting something else--a thriller perhaps, though why anyone would come to this book thinking that is beyond me). This is a beautiful novel, powerful and compelling, and I know I will read it again. I came to it first because of my enjoyment of my own visits to Penang, but was happy to discover a book that has resonance well beyond my interest in that place. It is a book that instead touched me in very deep ways, and made me think a lot about the role of predestination and free will, about what we do for family and friends, about hard decisions that I, as a child of peace who has never experienced war, have been blessed to never have to make. It made me think, too, a lot about what my grandparent's generation knew and suffered. It is a beautiful book, suitable for any readers of literary fiction. (And for the record, I never give 5 star reviews, because to me, five stars means the book is near perfect, one I will want to read again and again. A few other books would fit this: Toni Morrison's Beloved. Jeannette Winterson's The Passion. John Edgar Wideman's Cattle Killing and a handful of others. This book--and this author--will be added to that list of literary greats). 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 | #88,703 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #749 in Contemporary Literature & Fiction #965 in Historical British & Irish Literature #4,677 in Literary Fiction (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.5 out of 5 stars 7,298 Reviews | ## Images ![The Gift of Rain: A Novel - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91mW4fgjkTL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "We were beings capable mainly of love and memory *by D***O on December 5, 2014* "We were beings capable mainly of love and memory. These capabilities are the greatest gifts given to us, and we do nothing else but live out the remembered desires and memories of our hearts." So says the narrator of this powerful, lyrical novel, and perhaps this is the overall message of the book too: despite the horrors of war, despite the difficult choices and mistakes, what is most important in the end is love an memory. This book is indeed a gift, and complex one--there are no easy answers here. The young Phillip Hutton is torn between the need to protect his family and his love and loyalty to his Japanese sensei, and his choices are difficult ones. Beyond the lyrical language and the ability to of this writer to capture, beautifully, a world long gone before his own birth, I was most captivated by this skill at characterization. I always believed in these characters. There were times I was frustrated with the decisions the young narrator made, but in the context of the book, it was always clear why he made those decisions, just as it was clear to me why other characters made very different decisions. I was also moved by this young writer's wisdom and maturity--this book is narrated by a much older Phillip, and his thoughts on his life and the consequences of his actions are moving and mature--with the kind of wisdom that does indeed come with age. I haven't read a book in a long time that lent itself to so much highlighting--there were so many passages of beauty and wisdom here, and the idea of these two people who loved each other across ages--a small but important part of the book--had a great power, as did the questions of predestination vs free will. And yet this book is always rooted, too, in the time and place, and the characters lives, and it is well-plotted and well paced. (I have to disagree here with readers who found it "boring" as there is plenty of action in this novel. It makes me think that those readers were not readers of literary fiction, and perhaps had been expecting something else--a thriller perhaps, though why anyone would come to this book thinking that is beyond me). This is a beautiful novel, powerful and compelling, and I know I will read it again. I came to it first because of my enjoyment of my own visits to Penang, but was happy to discover a book that has resonance well beyond my interest in that place. It is a book that instead touched me in very deep ways, and made me think a lot about the role of predestination and free will, about what we do for family and friends, about hard decisions that I, as a child of peace who has never experienced war, have been blessed to never have to make. It made me think, too, a lot about what my grandparent's generation knew and suffered. It is a beautiful book, suitable for any readers of literary fiction. (And for the record, I never give 5 star reviews, because to me, five stars means the book is near perfect, one I will want to read again and again. A few other books would fit this: Toni Morrison's Beloved. Jeannette Winterson's The Passion. John Edgar Wideman's Cattle Killing and a handful of others. This book--and this author--will be added to that list of literary greats). ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 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. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Most favorite book of the past year *by S***A on May 6, 2026* This is so poetically written. Even in tragedy there are so much beauty, wisdom, and lightness of heart. Can’t wait to discuss it at my Book Club. This is my most favorite book. I have read in the last year, and I have read plenty. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.gr/products/3770467-the-gift-of-rain-a-novel](https://www.desertcart.gr/products/3770467-the-gift-of-rain-a-novel) --- *Product available on Desertcart Greece* *Store origin: GR* *Last updated: 2026-05-31*