The Rain Watcher

The Rain Watcher is stunningly beautiful, sensitive, simultaneously gentle and forceful.

Against a backdrop of Paris’ epic flood, the Malegarde family come together to celebrate Paul's birthday, and Lauren's and Paul's anniversary. Continuous rain causes flood levels to rise unravelling the family's happy plans. Paul and Lauren both suffer health crises alarming Linden and Tilia, son and daughter.

Both react emotionally; Linden, by introspectively recalling and re-examining significant events of his life, and Tilia, normally tough, now vulnerable, crying and demanding answers. The Malegardes, a good, loving family are now moved to release the flood-gates of their feelings of guilt and remorse, and set them right.

I love the way De show more Rosnay adds richness to the novel by layering on more in-depth detail on her characters slowly, chapter by chapter. Masterful with language; it is both spare and descriptive, balancing the horror that Paris has become and somehow avoiding the melodramatic. I found the words to be softly poetic, inviting, and felt the book almost read itself to me! show less

I am normally a very fast reader but I read this book slowly so that I could savor every word and marvel at the way the family secrets were brought to the light. I love Paris and felt like I had taken a wet and rainy mini-vacation after I finished it. I loved the family and they are not characters that I'll soon forget.

The Malegarde family is meeting in Paris to celebrate Paul's 70th birthday and the anniversary of Paul and Lauren. They both traveled to Paris from the Drome Valley to spend the weekend with their two children - Tilia who is an artist and lives in London with her second husband in a rocky marriage and Linden who lives in San Francisco with his lover. Linden is a world renowned photographer who sees the world best through show more the eye of a camera. When the family all arrives in Paris, it has been raining for days but as the rain continues, the Seine begins to rise to levels not seen since the flood of 1910, the city begins to flood and shut down. In the midst of the devastation in Paris, Paul suffers a stroke and is taken to the hospital and Lauren is stricken with pneumonia. This is a family who love each other but don't really understand each other. They are hiding secrets and resentments from each other. As they get cut off from the rest of the world in the floods, their secrets start to come to light as they learn more about the other family members.

This is a beautifully written novel about the devastation of Paris in a flood and the flood of feeling that this family must release to better understand each other. It will make you miss Paris if you've ever been there or make you want to make plans for a trip to Paris. I LOVED IT!

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own. show less

Nur die Eltern und die beiden Kinder. So lautet die klare Ansage von Mutter Lauren Malegarde, als sie Linden und Tilia bittet nach Paris zu kommen, um den 70. Geburtstag von Vater Paul zu feiern. Ein ungewöhnlicher Ort, wohnen die Eltern doch im Département Drôme, aber dem Wunsch der Mutter ist Folge zu leisten. Allerdings empfängt die Hauptstadt die Familie nicht mit dem gewohnten Charme, ein Hochwasser historischen Ausmaßes droht die Stadt zu überschwemmen und es regnet unerlässlich. Das Programm wird angepasst, doch bald schon müssen sie noch mehr Planänderungen vornehmen, denn beim gemeinsamen Abendessen bricht Paul mit einem Schlaganfall zusammen und die Erkältung der Mutter stellt sich als schwere Lungenentzündung show more heraus. Während in ganz Paris der Ausnahmezustand herrscht, ereilt dieser ganz im Kleinen auch die Familie Malegarde.

Von Beginn der Geschichte an wählt die französisch-amerikanische Schriftstellerin, die in beiden Sprachen ihre Bücher verfasst, ein starkes Symbol: das Wasser der Seine steigt im gleichen Maße wie auch die Lage in der Familie sich zuspitzt, vor allem der Gesundheitszustand des Vaters läuft auf einen dramatischen Höhepunkt zu. Es wird einen Scheitelpunkt geben müssen, der entscheidet, in welche Richtung das Pendel ausschlägt.

Trotz der gerade einmal 300 Seiten bringt Tatiana de Rosnay unzählige Themen in ihrem Roman unter, die einem als Leser nachdenklich stimmen. Doch keineswegs wirkt die Handlung überladen, im Gegenteil, der Fokus auf die engste Familie und insbesondere auf Linden lässt sie nie den roten Faden verlieren. Es ist das Verhältnis der beiden Geschwister zu einander, jenes zwischen Eltern und Kindern, glückliche und gescheiterte Beziehungen und vor allem die hohe Sensibilität der Malegarde Männer, die immer wieder hervortreten. Paul Malegarde kam als „Treeman“ zu Weltruhm, nichts gibt es, das er nicht über Bäume zu wissen scheint, überall fragt man nach ihm, wenn die Natur übermächtig zu werden scheint. Er ist ein Baumflüsterer, doch wo seine enge Verbundenheit herführt, ist ein Geheimnis, das erst spät gelüftet wird. Lindens besonderes Gespür für Menschen äußert sich in seinem Talent als Fotograf. Er hat den Blick für den ultimativen Ausdruck, kann mit Bildern das ausdrücken, wozu ihm die Worte fehlen.

Die Familie birgt jedoch auch Konfliktpotenzial, das sich besonders gerne zu Feierlichkeiten entlädt. Auch bei den Malegardes ist dies nicht anders und so manches Geheimnis und bis dato Unausgesprochenes will nun trotz oder gerade wegen der Ausnahmesituation an die Oberfläche. Nicht immer war man nett zu einander, hat sich unterstützt; es gab Neid und Groll, man fühlte sich missverstanden und nicht anerkannt. All das erzählt Tatiana de Rosnay in einem fast poetisch anmutenden Ton, der außerordentlich die Empfindsamkeit und Emotionen der Figuren einfängt und wiedergibt. Trotz der tristen Szenerie und Dramatik des Settings, schlichtweg ein großartiger Roman. show less

The Malegarde family has gathered in Paris for a family reunion in honor of Patriarch Paul's 70th birthday and anniversary celebration with his wife Lauren. Their adult children, daughter Tilia and son Linden come into town from London and New York respectively. Timing is everything and as it turns out, being in Paris on this particular weekend was nearly disastrous. The rain hasn't stopped. The Seine is quickly rising. While trying to make the best of a difficult situation, the Malegarde's experience their own family crisis, preventing them from fleeing the rising floodwaters as the rest of Paris departs.

Linden, a world renowned photographer, is the narrator of this tale. The narration is as one looking at life through a filtered show more lens. Each character has painful secrets which they hesitate to share. Eventually, each rips the bandage off their wound and exposes themselves bare. There is a tremendous array of emotion exhibited in each of the characters throughout this book. Such tragic pain and sorrow pent up in each. Is redemption even possible?

There is no question of author Tatiana de Rosnay's ability to tell a well spun tale. Her prose is exquisite and rich in descriptive detail. Her characters are well fleshed out and the struggles of each are deeply felt. It's just that this is such a dreary tale to tell and it left me horribly sad. It ended as so many french dramas often do. show less

When I read the last page I sat wondering how I felt about this story. I still am not sure but I am positive that I was fully invested in all of the members of the Malegarde Family. The character development is extraordinary.

Set in Paris, a trip that is supposed to be a celebration becomes a nightmare times four. The situational horror of the flooding Seine and its effect on the story heighten the tension and the anxiety that mirrors the emotions of each member of the family.

Linden is so beautifully drawn that you feel his joy, sorrow and love as he explains the formative experiences that have brought him to this point in his life. Tilia, his sister is the staccato note, shrill, broken, brittle, scarred, scared, emotionally tied to show more her brother. She loves him fiercely. She can spin out of control in a heartbeat. Paul, the patriarch, reticent, comfortable with his trees, removed from his family. Lauren, the matriarch, with secrets that remain hidden from her family.

Interesting that you can love a book for the characters and leave the story behind. Beautifully written - so many tragedies are.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a copy. show less

To state that this book is a disappointment is an understatement. I really struggled to finish it; were it not for the fact that I felt obligated to review it because I received a digital galley, I would have abandoned it.

The Malegarde family meets in Paris in January of 2018 to celebrate the 70th birthday of the family patriarch Paul who is a world renowned arborist. Paul and his wife Lauren arrive in Paris where their son Linden and their daughter Tilia are waiting. The family reunion does not go as planned; much of Paris is experiencing flooding and Paul suffers a medical emergency that requires his hospitalization. While they are together, various family secrets are divulged.

The narrator is Linden, a celebrated photographer who is show more gay but has never actually discussed his sexuality with his father. Of course, communication seems not to be the métier of any of the family members. Lauren keeps a secret from her husband; Tilia never speaks of an accident in which she was injured; and Paul has a secret which he has hidden “where it won’t be found. No one knows. No one will.” It is Tilia’s secret that seems contrived. Linden might not have heard personal details from his sister but there would have been information easily available online.

The book needs extensive editing. Over and over again, there are detailed descriptions of the flooding and a comparison to the 1910 flood which is repeatedly mentioned. Then there are the constant references to Paris streets and arrondissements. Words referring to street (“rue” or “avenue” or “boulevard”) are used over 100 times!

Even the style is tedious. There is very little dialogue; instead, Linden just recounts conversations so there is no sense of immediacy. So much telling, as opposed to showing, leaves the reader feeling detached. What’s with the obsession with years? Besides the 2 dozen references to the floods of 1910 and 2016, various years between 1997 and 2016 are specifically identified 58 times! There is little variety in sentence structure. So many of the sentences are short, choppy, simple sentences (“Tilia halts. Her trembling hands cover her face like a mask. Linden and Mistral do not move. The only sound is the gush of rain . . . Suddenly the phone rings . . . Mistral answers it. She nods, murmurs a few words, then hangs up. Linden asks her who it was. She whispers that it’s not important.”) as if the author cannot write a compound or complex sentence. Then there are the long series of interrogative sentences: “What does Paul know? How long has it been going on? . . . Is this a recent affair? Or one of those long-lasting clandestine ones, like Candice and J.G.’s? . . . Are his parents happy? Have they always been happy?” and “Why her? Why them, and not her? Why had all her friends died? Why had she been the one left behind? The only one?”

The author often seems to toy with the reader. At the beginning, she avoids using gender-specific pronouns to refer to Sasha as if to later shock the reader about Linden’s homosexuality. The same is done with the opening passages of the chapters when it is not made clear who (Linden or Paul) is writing the flashbacks.

Symbolism usually adds depth to a novel. In this case, however, the symbolism is clumsy and heavy-handed. Paris is being flooded and the reader is to understand that the family is drowning in secrets and a storm is brewing as they gather for their reunion which arouses a flood of emotions. As the Seine dredges up what has been buried, so are the family’s secrets dredged up. It’s impossible to miss the metaphor: “It seems his father’s life is slowly ebbing away, with the same stealthy pace as the rise of the Seine, as if the two events are intertwined and preordained.” As Paris is deluged by water, Linden is inundated with memories of his time in the city. After the waters recede, will the family emerge cleansed?

Much of the narrative is disjointed. Much is made of Tilia’s speaking about the accident which left her with mental and physical scars, but then it is never mentioned again. The backstories of characters are supplied but they serve little purpose. Linden is placed in positions that make little sense. Why does he go on the second boat trip since he is not allowed to take photos and his presence would serve only as a hindrance to rescuers? Likewise, he is asked to be at an evacuation though he would become one more person for those in charge to worry about? And what’s with unexpectedly dropping characters into the story? Three different people arrive unannounced.

Sometimes things just seem thrown into the plot mix. Linden leaves Tilia to get some medication for his mother: “He leaves Lauren in Tilia’s care. She’ll deal with getting the prescription.” Then later we are told that “medication has been the subject to avoid with his sister ever since her accident. She harbors profound skepticism about doctor’s prescriptions” and “It had been complicated enough getting her to approve of the treatment Lauren was receiving for her pneumonia.” This complication was never mentioned! And don’t get me started on that ending with its great reveal. It’s anticlimactic and explains little. Is it supposed to explain the reason for Paul’s preference for trees over people? It does not connect to the rest of the storyline except to suggest that Paul decided he should share his secret.

A repeated message is that people need to care more for each other. One woman dies because of “the lack of caring.” One character “hates this egocentric world where selfies rule, where no one bothers to find out if their neighbor is all right.” We are told that in the 1910 flood, “people were kinder to one another . . . They watched out for their neighbors; they made sure everyone was dry and safe. Solidarity ruled, and this, sadly, is no longer true in our modern selfish world.”

Despite the many references to deep waters, I found the book rather shallow. It does not flow; rather, it is disjointed. Many scenes lack purpose. I hate being so negative, but I honestly found little to admire in this book. Reading it was like wading through the detritus of a flood.

Note: I received a digital galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. show less

Having read Sarah's Key, de Rosnay's earlier work, I was excited to read The Rain Watcher.
I was not disappointed.

Family drama and natural disaster... makes for a page turner. Linden, the central character, is the only son of Paul Malegarde, a world renowned terrorist. The family, including Linden's mother Lauren and his older sister Tilia, are together in Paris to celebrate Paul's 70th birthday. At the celebratory dinner, Paul suddenly collapses and is taken to the hospital.

Unprecedented rains in Paris cause the Seine to jump its banks and flooding begins...and does not relent, eventually flooding even the hospital where Paul had been taken. At the same time, Lauren falls ill... Linden Tilia get along like sister and brother... show more bumpy.

Family secrets unfold amid the harrowing flooding of the City of Light.

An excellent read...though I was let down by the ending - perhaps wanting a bit more closure. show less