History of the Rain

By: Niall Williams

Narrated by: Jennifer McGrath

Length: 11 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

We are our stories. We tell them to stay alive or keep alive those who only live now in the telling. In Faha, County Clare, everyone is a long story....

Bedbound in her attic room beneath the falling rain, Plain Ruth Swain is in search of her father. To find him Ruthie must first trace the jutting jaw lines, narrow faces, and gleamy skin of the Swains from the restless Reverend Swain, her great-grandfather, to her father, Virgil - via pole-vaulting, leaping salmon, poetry and the 3,958 books piled high beneath the two skylights in her room.

©2014 Niall Williams (P)2014 W F Howes Ltd

Critic reviews

"Extremely moving, poignantly capturing Ruth's doomed childhood relationship with her twin brother. By the final chapter I was weeping." ( Sunday Times)

"A rambling, soft-hearted Irish family saga stuffed with eccentricity, literature, anecdotes, mythology, humour and heartbreak." ( Kirkus)

Lyrical wonderful book

This book is absolutely unsentimental but still moving and beautiful. The Irish rural characteristics both tragic and comic are given great treatment and yet it has a modern feel because it is set after the economic boom and bust that happened in Ireland. I highly recommend it

Brilliantly written, in all ways

Beautiful, lyrical, hauntingly sad, but also hopeful. I loved this book, all i want a book to be.

Gorgeous prose and narration!

Some writers write books, good books, yet others love words, language, and stories and create beautiful prose that catches our hearts. Niall Williams is the latter. I've listened to two of his books now (The History of Rain and This is Happiness), and I've been left in awe of his storytelling and writing. The narration is gorgeous as well.
The History of Rain is kind of like an ode to literature, or rather literature is another character. Ruthie Swain tells the stories of her family whose grey clouds follow them through several generations.
To understand her father, Ruthie reads his over 3000 books and references them in her narration.
This story is about family, love, struggles, resilience, and self-worth.
Only two quotes out of many to share:

“We tell stories. We tell stories to pass the time, to leave the world for a while, or go more deeply into it. We tell stories to heal the pain of living.”

“I love the feel of a book. I love the touch and smell and sound of the pages. I love the handling. A book is a sensual thing. You sit in a chair with it or like me you take it to bed and it's, well, enveloping. Weird I am, I know(...)You either get it or you don't.”

Thrilling Tale, Fascinating History

Set in post-WW2 Finland, this novel has action, suspense, and a lot of grim history that most don’t know about the complex struggles of Nazis, US, USSR, and Finland.

The lure of local flavour

If you could sum up History of the Rain in three words, what would they be?

Irish prose poetry

What did you like best about this story?

The deep, unspoken feelings running through family and community

Which character – as performed by Jennifer McGrath – was your favorite?

Ruth

If you could rename History of the Rain, what would you call it?

River Swain

Any additional comments?

The narrator's accent contributes in no small measure to the 'placement' of the story; and the calm tone used in the rendering underlined the intimacy felt throughout the narrative.

Just Okay

I much preferred This is Happiness which has a far better narrator and as well as a more interesting story.

in places the language was beautiful, but overall the story was too haphazard, too affected by efforts to be literary, and in many areas it was just over written. It really could have benefitted from a good editor.

i wanted to love this as much as I do This is Happiness, but it's just not as well crafted.

Evocative, well read, totally engrossing.

I struggled to start The History of the Rain and decided to set it down. A few months later I came back to it. I am so glad I gave it a second chance. I found myself fully immersed. The writing is pitch perfect, coupled with an equally edept reader. I will come back to this book again, for its frank, funny, tragic, tale. Superb storytelling.

Soul scarifyingly beautiful

What did you love best about History of the Rain?

It is rare to find writing that is at once resonant with meaning while remaining most accessible. This lyrical novel is very specific in time and place yet it graciously and often humorously passes many gifts on to the listener. However sympathetic or not one is to questions of origin, religion, even education..without excessive didacticism, the author offers us wisdom. All you really need is a deep love of books.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Ruth and Mary are an extraordinary partnership. In the face of what can only be described as " a difficult life," the two women find ways to excel. The men who surround them are a challenge added to their circumstances.

Which character – as performed by Jennifer McGrath – was your favorite?

It is Ruth's voice we hear narrating and although there are many mispronunciations it feels forgiveable because the earnest tone appears to be a reflection of the character herself.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Many reviewers have remarked on the last chapter already. My choice moments are many: Mary trying to catch Virgil's eye at their first encounter, Ruth's bullies venting their lack of understanding of her at school, a scene where fire engulfs a room, attempting to dissuade a cow from drowning herself....it is very hard to choose from many, many moments that capture your imagination and feelings.

Any additional comments?

The extended metaphors of endless rain and a fast flowing river have been used very often by the authors and poets that are quoted in this novel but the writer manages to create a beautiful new, original version in a very human history meandering through time.

A beautiful story

This is a book that I will listen to again- so so much to take in about human nature, loss, pain, struggles of the mind, self worth, resilience, love. Such a beautiful and thought-provoking story. I loved how the author painted a picture of this family’s world in Ireland so clearly I really could see and feel it and the people in it. It’s a long story, but one that left me wanting it to continue. I highly recommend this book.

Slow start, but then I became mesmerized

Exceptional narration. I could be happy listening to her read a phone book. Surprisingly captivating tale — so much happened while so little happened…