History of the Rain: A Novel

"I am such a fan of Niall Williams." -Ann Patchett, New York Times bestselling author of Tom Lake

This Booker Prize longlisted novel introduces readers to Niall Williams' enchanting Irish village of Faha in a profound, beautifully written book about family, legacy, and the incredible power of stories.

We are our stories. We tell them to stay alive or keep alive those who only live now in the telling. That's how it seems to me, being alive for a little while, the teller and the told.

So says Ruthie Swain. The bedridden daughter of a dead poet, home from college after a collapse, she is trying to find her father through generations of family history in County Clare and through her own writing. Ruthie turns also to the books her father left behind, his library transposed to her bedroom and stacked on the floor.

In her attic room, with the rain rushing down the windows, Ruthie writes Ireland, with its weather, its rivers, its lilts, and its lows. The stories she uncovers and recounts bring back to life multiple generations buried in this soil--and they might just bring her back into the world again, too.

Niall's other novels set in Faha include This Is Happiness and Time of the Child, which are both available now!

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Published Nov 3, 2015

368 pages

Average rating: 6.91

11 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

Rose Mendez
Dec 27, 2023
8/10 stars
It took me a LONG time to get into this book. The first bit is fine, but after that it gets tedious and boring, about half way through, it picks up and I found it really charming and beautiful. I did this on audio, so it may have just taken me that long to warm up to the narrator, but I did and I'm glad I stuck with it. Probably not quite a 4 star, but three would be too few!

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