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Published Oct 2018
240 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publication Information
A heartbreaking and uplifting story of family secrets and devastating disaster, set against a Paris backdrop, fraught with revelations, and resolutions.
Linden Malegarde has come home to Paris from the United States. It has been years since the whole family was all together. Now the Malegarde family is gathering for Paul, Linden's father's 70th birthday.
Each member of the Malegarde family is on edge, holding their breath, afraid one wrong move will shatter their delicate harmony. Paul, the quiet patriarch, an internationally-renowned arborist obsessed with his trees and little else, has always had an uneasy relationship with his son. Lauren, his American wife, is determined that the weekend celebration will be a success. Tilia, Linden's blunt older sister, projects an air of false fulfillment. And Linden himself, the youngest, uncomfortable in his own skin, never quite at home no matter where he lives - an American in France and a Frenchman in the U.S. - still fears that, despite his hard-won success as a celebrated photographer, he will always be a disappointment to his parents.
Their hidden fears and secrets slowly unravel as the City of Light undergoes a stunning natural disaster, and the Seine bursts its banks and floods the city. All members of the family will have to fight to keep their unity against tragic circumstances. In this profound and intense novel of love and redemption, de Rosnay demonstrates all of her writer's skills both as an incredible storyteller but also as a soul seeker.
"Starred Review. Triumphant…This is an emotional tour de force and a thoughtful, deliberate examination of personal tragedy and the possibility of redemption." - Publishers Weekly
"[T]he novel is long on rumination and summary, short on dialogue and forward momentum. The timing of the personal revelations seems arbitrary or, at best, anticlimactic...The weather and Paris are the main attractions here, not the people." - Kirkus
"De Rosnay's many fans, and all who embrace tearful tales, will enjoy the slow unraveling of the complex troubles and secrets of the Malegarde family." - Booklist
"Hypnotic, passionate, ominous and tender - unforgettable." - Jenna Blum, New York Times and internationally bestselling author of Those Who Save Us
"Through her tender rendering of her characters, Tatiana de Rosnay demonstrates that - in spite of our burdens and our brokenness - redemption and healing are within our grasp." - Erika Robuck, national bestselling author of Hemingway's Girl
"A bonfire begins with a spark. A flood with a single drop. In similar fashion, The Rain Watcher will leave you spellbound, transformed, and swept away." - Sarah McCoy, New York Times and international bestselling author of The Mapmaker's Children
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Tatiana de Rosnay was born on September 28th, 1961 in the suburbs of Paris. She is of English, French and Russian descent. Her father is French scientist Joël de Rosnay, her grandfather was painter Gaëtan de Rosnay. Tatiana's paternal great-grandmother was Russian actress Natalia Rachewskïa, director of the Leningrad Pushkin Theatre from 1925 to 1949.
Tatiana's mother is English, Stella Jebb, daughter of diplomat Gladwyn Jebb, and great-great-granddaughter of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the British engineer. Tatiana is also the niece of historian Hugh Thomas. Tatiana was raised in Paris and then in Boston, when her father taught at MIT in the 70's. She moved to England in the early 80's and obtained a Bachelor's degree in ...
... Full Biography
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Link to Tatiana de Rosnay's Website
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