This was so painfully slow, uninteresting and plot-less that I am not sure why I finished it. Is that too harsh? I apologize. But I do feel like I just wasted my time. I only gave it two stars because generally I leave my one star reviews for books I don't actually finish. Conceptually, I got it. A family, seemingly in pieces, comes together during a horrific natural disaster and a health disaster, only to find they were really a big happy family all along - if only they could have communicated. Dang, it's always those pesky communications that lead to life's misunderstandings. Well written? Absolutely. Well drawn characters? Absolutely. Well done character studies? Absolutely. If those are your interests when reading, then by all means, pick this one up. You will not be disappointed. If you want some plot depth I say skip it.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the chance to read and review this novel early.

The Rain Watcher by Tatiana de Rosnay was one of my most anticipated reads for the end of 2018 due to my love of the author's previous book, Sarah's Key. Sarah's Key is solely responsible for spurring my love of World War II Historical Fiction, and is on the list of my all-time favorite reads. It was a book I read and loved long before I was an avid reader, a book that stands out in my mind years after finishing it, and a truly beautiful and moving story. I expected nothing less from The Rain Watcher, a novel that caught my eye thanks to the gorgeous cover, talented author, and title.

Unfortunately, The Rain Watcher did not live up to my expectations in the slightest. I actually wish I would have stopped reading before I made it to the halfway point in this story. Being an optimist, I kept waiting for something to happen after the slow build, and before I knew it I was nearly halfway through the novel. At that point, it felt like a waste of time to stop reading and a waste of time to continue. For the sake of writing a review, I decided I needed to understand the whole story, whether it was good or bad. 

The first issue with this novel for me was the narrative style the story was told in. I felt like it took away from the reading experience by not allowing me to connect with the characters in the way I hoped to, especially in a book by this author. Further, the writing style made the story feel as if it were going in many directions with each member of the family and their respective stories, rather than focusing on the main characters exclusively. This gave the implication of many things happening, but when I evaluated the story, nothing seemed to transpire.

On the whole, this novel was incredibly boring. I actually fell asleep twice while reading and other times would find my mind wandering, forcing me to go back and re-read, only to realize my mind had wandered to more interesting thoughts once again. I wanted desperately for an event to happen to catch and hold my interest, but sadly, it never did.

In my opinion, readers who are familiar with Paris streets and landmarks will feel more interested and eager to read the story. For someone who isn't familiar with the city, the long descriptions of places in relation to others became tedious and overdone. This also kept the storyline mainly relating to the flood of the Seine from being as interesting as it could have been. 

Overall, I didn't really understand the point of the story. I felt like the author was trying to push an agenda that is dear to heart, though it is one I don't prefer to have shoved down my throat while reading. I wish this had been indicated in the blurb, rather than sprung on me through the course of the book. I also wish something exciting had happened! It was a shame to wait and wait and be entirely let down. 

This novel has its place and will surely find readers who relate to the family story at the heart of the book. I only wish I could be one of those people. The Rain Watcher releases October 23rd.

Primarily set in present-day Paris, a flooded Seine River threatens to overtake the bank and streets of the city. The Malegarde family travels from across the globe to gather for a celebration weekend. When Paul, the 70 year-old birthday boy and father to his adult children, son Linden and daughter Tilia, suffers a medical emergency, the entire family is forced to examine their secrets and hope for redemption. Beautiful descriptions and a flowing narrative make THE RAIN WATCHER an absorbing read. Highly recommended for Francophiles and those who love a good family drama.

I received an advanced copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley.

Since Sarah's Key was a a favorite book of mine, I was very excited to read The Rain Watcher. Beautiful writing. Don't think I'll ever look at trees the same.

I wish "The Rain Watcher" pulled me into the story more, but I spent more time wishing it was raining at my house than feeling compelled to read more about this family gathering for a reunion. Obviously, the author is a strong writer, but I struggled with the characters and their lack of connection and involvement with each other, and that should have been what moved this novel forward.

I read this book from cover to cover, although it didn't really resonate with me much. I can say that the character developments were well written, and I learned a lot about the Paris floods.

“His father caressed trees as if they were the most beloved creatures in the entire universe.”

I picked up this book because of its extremely beautiful cover, which portrays the stunning Eiffel tower as seen through the window with raindrops. However, this book is so much more than its cover. It is an introspection of bonds between family members. A hopeful story of acceptance and the unsaid love that exist between them and how sometimes that same love needs to be expressed.

When famous photographer, Linden Malegarde arrives in Paris at a family reunion to celebrate his father’s 70th birthday he has no idea that his life will take a drastic turn. What was supposed to be a wonderful weekend of shopping, dinners and museum hopping for Linden’s Parents and sister Tilia turns out to be a nightmare when the city of light is brought down on its knees with the incessant rain causing the seine to flow above danger level and flooding major parts of the city.

To make matters worse, Linden’s father, Paul suffers a massive stroke and has to be hospitalised and his mother, Lauren is down with pneumonia. While Linden and Tilia are left stranded with their ill parents in the city, which is going through a major natural disaster, they must also face their own qualms, secrets and must keep a united front in the wake of this calamity.


This entire book is an irony in itself. An irony, which author Tatiana de Rosany, brings out subtly, powerfully and wonderfully. Paul Malegarde, Linden father has worked his entire life to save trees and yet he is left marooned, ill and hospitalised in the flooded Paris and we all know that one of the major causes of floods in cities is deforestation. Irony/ co- incidence take your pick. Since flood in Paris plays a major role in the story of characters from this book, we get an indistinct pique of Paris before, during and after the flood through Linden’s POV. Having lived in Paris for almost 6 months myself, I am quite familiar with many streets and areas mentioned in the book and I could almost picture myself back in those lively Parisian streets. The author has beautifully described the city and it made me so nostalgic as well as so sad to see the city that I love so much submerged in water, dirty, malodourous and on standstill.

“There had never been a conflict. Conflict have made it easier. Yes, there was love. But it was not expressed. Love was tucked away, remote.”

As for the characters, Tatiana de Rosany has written some very real and well-developed characters. They are flawed, they have their reservations but they are so human. Rosany, delves deep in human physiology and brings out the perspective of each character with extreme honesty and diligence. Linden the protagonist of this novel is gay and we see him contemplate his relationship with his parents and sister as well as his relationship with his now dead aunt, Candy, who has major impact on his life and without whose guidance and love he would not have been able to accept who he truly is. Linden’s flashback during his teen years growing up in the French countryside is extremely poignant. I sometimes wonder that how can humans be so cruel to each other but alas! We live in this harsh world and we know what humans are capable of, but reading the same about Linden’s struggle as a teenager just because he is different is really harrowing and heart wrenching.

Whether it is Linden confession to his father about his sexuality, Tilia finally coming to terms with the events following a near death accident. Lauren understanding and accepting his son for who he is as well as her own relation with his husband of 40 years or Paul revelation about his deep love of trees and why they have been so important to him. I think the author has done a wonderful job of portraying complex characters matching the grey and wet Parisian weather. These characters have deep emotional baggage but it is remarkable to read about the way they come to terms with their lives and their relationship with each other and I loved every moment of it.
Overall, some parts are a bit slow but apart from that, this book is a passionate family drama and an elusive tale of family ties, love, faith and redemption. Also, I will read anything that has Paris in it so there you go! I say this to everyone I meet, that Paris is not a city it’s an experience and this book is a tribute to Paris and its resolute spirit.


“I fed all my terrors into the tree. It took my fear and made me part of it. The tree held me. It locked me into itself. Never had I felt such protection. Never had anyone or anything safeguarded me this way.”

Engrossing, captivating and riveting!

Also, please spread love, not hate and save trees.

The cover for this book is gorgeous and I wanted to love it. But honestly, I had trouble getting into the story and gave up. I was sad since I loved Sarah's Key. Maybe I will try again at another time.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's press for the ARC of The Rain Watcher by Tatiana de Rosnay. I will start by saying that Sarah's Key, five stars, was one of my favorite books so I was excited to get the opportunity to read this ARC. I am half way through and although I love the writing style and love the parts that are direct and to the point I can not get past the rest of it. I find there is too much going on in-between the main story that I am not able to finish the book at this time. While I would give it 3.5 stars for writing style I will not be able to rate it due to content. I always feel bad not finishing a book so I plan to get back to it sometime in the future.

I liked the book but was disappointed at the lack of an ending. I felt it needed more closure. The characters were described well. There were grammatical errors which I expect in a proof but there were more than I usually encounter. It would have been 5 stars but the ending made me feel it was an incomplete proof.

Oh my goodness!  Let's first of all talk about the cover! Isn't it beautiful?  What reader, especially those of us who love a rainy day, wouldn't love to pick this book up and devour it? Ok, that aside, let's talk about what's inside the book.

Linden Malegarde, a photographer,  is a fascinating character right at the get go. As his family is introduced into the story, it's no secret that a family drama is about to unfold.  What is unexpected is the circumstances that surround them. Linden's father is turning 70 and his mother wants the family to celebrate together in Paris.  While in Paris, the rains fall and the water rises. Not only do the Malegardes have to deal with each other, but they do so while experiencing a natural disaster.

What I enjoyed about this book were the historical details. The catastrophe became as much a part of the plot as the characters and this kept my interest.  I was invested in the father/son relationship in the beginning, but as I got more interested in what was happening to Paris, I lost interest in the people as individuals.  Toward the end of the book their individuality was moved to the forefront of my mind and I was glad to hear how everything concluded.

If you're a fan of Tatiana de Rosnay, I think this book will be a hit or miss. Although I enjoyed reading about Paris in the 1900's, it wasn't enough to override the parts I didn't like. It seemed to be a character-driven book, but I wasn't invested enough in the characters to read the process of solving issues.

Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book from St Martin's Press through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

My Personal Rating: 3.38                 Star Rating: 3/5

The Rain Watcher was one of those books that showed up on a Read Now email from NetGalley and I added it. Why I added it? Well, I liked the cover. I loved seeing the Eiffel Tower behind glass with rain on it. When I read the blurb, I figured “”Why not. The worst case scenario is that I don’t like it. The best is that I love it“. Well, my feeling for this book falls somewhere between love and hate.

I was not familiar with anything written by Tatiana De Rosnay. Since I like reading books by authors that are unknown to me, I was excited to start reading this book. My excitement was strong when I started reading The Rain Watcher. But as the book went on, my excitement started to go away. It wasn’t that I didn’t like the plotline, I did. It was the writing style. It was hard for me to get used to. That was a big consideration when it came to giving my star rating to this book.

As much as I hate saying this, I couldn’t connect with Linden, Tilla, or Lauren. It’s not that I didn’t like them, I couldn’t connect to them as a people. I did feel bad for Linden, though. He couldn’t come out to his father. Did he want to? Yes, but he was scarred by Lauren’s reaction when he told her. Tilla came across as unhappy in her life. That was the vibe I got from her. Unhappy with how her life has turned out. And Lauren, well, she wasn’t present for 90% of the book. How can I connect to a character who wasn’t there?

I did like that it was set in Paris. I didn’t understand what the author was talking about when she kept referring to the street names, neighborhoods. I had to google everything. I don’t mind googling one or two things. But when I have to google every French word/term that comes up (or use my Kindle’s translator), then it becomes tedious. Plus, I couldn’t get into the storyline as much as I wanted to.

I did like the storylines. I thought that the natural disaster that Paris went through during the book was fascinating. I also thought that the storyline with the unknown boy and his babysitter, Suzanne, was compelling. I did figure that out about halfway through who the unknown boy was. I loved how the author didn’t make the evacuation of Paris perfect and she didn’t bother to gloss over the flood. I also did like Paul’s stroke and the fall out from that. It did force Linden to think about some things that he would have rather not have. Like his Aunt Candy and Hadrian.

But there were dropped storylines as well. Like Lauren and her ex-fiance. After Linden confronted her, it went away. I wanted to know what was going on. Also, the whole Oriel and touring the city with her. That went away towards the end of the book. I was wondering what happened to her. Same with Linden’s agent, who kept texting him about his important photo shoot. Did she reschedule it or what?

The end of the book was bittersweet. I was left feeling unfulfilled and a little disappointed. What I liked was that the author didn’t make this a normal happy ending. While there were some happy elements to it, it was mostly sad. The author did a great job at wrapping up the main storylines but didn’t wrap up the secondary ones. Even though I wasn’t fond of this book, I am curious to read other books by the author.

What I liked about The Rain Watcher:

The main storylines
The book was set in Paris
Great job at wrapping up the main storylines
What I disliked about The Rain Watcher:

The writing style made the book hard to read
I couldn’t connect with any of the main characters
Dropped storylines
I gave The Rain Watcher a 3-star rating. While I liked the storyline and the location the book was set, I felt that the writing style overwhelmed them. I couldn’t connect with any of the main characters. Which is big, because I need to be able to connect with at least one character to make the book enjoyable to read. I also didn’t like that there were dropped storylines.

I would give The Rain Watcher an Adult rating. There is no sex. There is language. There is mild violence. There is a rape scene, while not graphic, is still disturbing. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I am on the fence if I would reread The Rain Watcher. I am also on the fence if I would recommend this book to family and friends. I am open to reading anything else by the author.

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Rain Watcher.

All opinions stated in this review of The Rain Watcher are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Long separated by misunderstandings and miles the Malegarde family gathers in Paris for a family reunion celebrating the 70th birthday of the family patriarch Paul. The occasion is dampened by a ceaseless rain that raises the waters of the Seine and threatens not only the celebration but the city itself.

Each member of the family from American ex-pat mother Lauren to French father Paul to siblings Tilda and Linden (both named after a tree) is harboring some sort of secret fear or frustration.

The story is told primarily from the viewpoint of Linden who obsessively examines and re-examines his parents and his aunt Candice’s reaction to his “gayness”. As if this were not enough the reader is also subjected to his ruminations over his current relationship with boyfriend Sacha as well as his guilt over a past peccadillo.

For a story featuring torrential rains and the flooding of a city, this story is as dry and unbearable as the Sahara in summer. The characters are boring, the plot non-existent, and the climax unsatisfying. The descriptions of Paris and the French countryside are the only redeeming aspects of this book. I really expected more from this author, but I suppose everyone is entitled to one “stinker”.

The Rain Watcher by Tatiana de Rosnay is a wonderful novel. This is the third Tatiana de Rosnay novel I have read. Ms. de Rosnay is an artful writer with well written and crafted characters along with vivid settings and experiences.

I felt there are a wide range of protagonists fighting for attention. The name of the book refers to an actual historical event. The Seine River flooded a few years ago and extensively damaged a large part of Paris, France. There were nineteen thousand homes and businesses destroyed with over four thousand people being evacuated. So the novel is set during this immense rain storm that flooded Paris, hence called The Rain Watcher.

The next protagonists are the Malgarde Family who have gathered in Paris for an anniversary/birthday celebration. Unfortunately for them it occurs during this natural disaster. It is a gathering of parents and two older adult children. No spouses, significant others or children. Which makes for an interesting dynamic. How the parents interact with each other, how the siblings interact with each other, how the siblings interact with their parents. This is where the majority of the themes take place. How each person deals with their past, how they relate to each other, their communication or lack thereof, familial love, love been couples, and love between parent and child.

To make the story more interesting each family member has withheld information from the rest of the family. The family reunion doesn’t go as planned. There is sickness - pneumonia and a stroke- in conjunction with the various personality issues and everyone is exhausted by the weather conditions of Paris in itself. The atmosphere in Paris is not good with fear of the Seine overflowing it’s banks.

So it would seem that this family has the worst luck. I am not giving any spoilers here. You will have to read this book to see what happens. Another wonderful book by Ms. de Rosnay

I would like to thank Tatiana de Rosnay, St. Martin’s Press, and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Linden Malegarde is an influential photographer, heading back to France for the weekend to meet up with his parents and sister. It's supposed to be a special weekend, one for celebrating his dad's birthday and his parents' anniversary. The Seine has other plans, however, as Paris experiences a horrific flood, and his dad's health is compromised during the trip.

I'm seeing a lot of negative reviews that all start with something about Sarah's Key. While it is the same author, it is a very different book. I think it's actually admirable that de Rosnay went away from the historical fiction (Holocaust / WWII being so popular right now) and instead did a character drama. What's even more impressive is that she did it in such a beautiful way. This book is poignant, heartbreaking, stimulating. I liked Linden, and I loved exploring the relationships he had with his family. The flooding of Paris was a big part of the book, but its symbolism made it eerily significant and sad. This book is a character analysis. It's not necessarily fast paced or mysterious (thinking of Sarah's Key again), but it's definitely for the thoughtful reader.

This new book by Tatiana de Rosnay follows professional photographer Linden Malegarde on his visit to Paris for a family reunion with mother Lauren, sister Tilia and father Paul. The flooding of the Seine is a foreboding backdrop to a catastrophic weekend, wherein Linden's father suffers a stroke at a family dinner, and mother Lauren suffers a serious bout of pneumonia.
The novel follows Linden as he battles to help his parents, plus all his reminiscences of personal struggles.

A story of family, secrets, disaster, redemption, and above all love. The Malegarde family come together for the patriarch's 70th birthday, never expecting to be in the middle of a natural disaster and a family tragedy. What they learn during that time will bind them back together, love and redemption.

Atmospheric, moody and filled to the brim with the kind of secrets that define some families, this is a big juicy tale of conflict. As the ever present rain threatens to flood Paris, a family weekend goes off the rails and each member is forced to reflect, somewhat, on their shared past. Author Tatiana de Rosnay weaves an ambitious tale and mostly hits her mark, leaving readers inspired by her writing and her characters. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sending me this electronic copy in exchange for an honest review. #TheRainWatcher #NetGalley This is my first book to read by Tatiana de Rosnay.. This book is a family drama set in Paris where family member gather to celebrate the Fathers 70th birthday and the parents Wedding Anniversary. As with most family dramas there are secrets, past traumas and resentments, illness and an overall troubled family and in this novel they are played out against the backdrop of severe flooding in Paris. I liked the setting of ths novel and I thought that the characters were realistic. . I thought this book was very good overall.

This is such a hard review for me to write. I fell headlong in love with de Rosnay’s earlier work, ‘Sarah’s Key’, and was anticipating a similar experience with her newest book, ‘The Rain Watcher’. Alas, this book was not a repeat performance for me. I think that if I had to sum up this book in one word, it would be ‘dreary’.

Like ‘Sarah’s Key’, this book is principally set in Paris, but the comparisons end there. This is mainly contemporary fiction about how a flood of the historic 1910 Paris Flood proportions would affect present day Paris. The Malegarde family story opens with rain greeting them when they arrive in Paris from all parts of the world to celebrate the father’s 70th birthday, and it is unrelenting throughout the rest of the book. The son, Linden Malegarde is the narrator of the book and it’s through his eyes that we encounter the ever expanding catastrophe that hits Paris as the Seine continues to rise.

The Malegarde family is not a jolly close-knit family. Linden, who has become a successful photographer, hasn’t seen his parents in quite a few years. His sister Tilia, and her 18 year-old daughter Mistral live in London, and are coping (or not coping) with Tilia’s husband’s alcoholism. Paul is a world renowned advocate for trees, but he seems to be able to communicate with the trees better than he can communicate with his family.

Various family secrects are revealed, and a crisis arises,as Lindin travels through Paris on foot and then by boat. The story of the family and the story of the flood are intertwined, and both get about the same amount of space on the page. After awhile I got really weary of having many specific street names and descriptions of what used to be on particular street corners called out. I’ve visited Paris a few times so I at least had some idea about what was being affected in the flood. If you have not visited Paris, I suspect that you might become weary of the litany of street names even more quickly than I did.

While the writing was good, both subject matters, the family and the flood, soon had me wishing for a quick end to the book. Many of my friends have given this book high praise. I may be in the minority, but this book just wasn’t for me.

‘Thank-You’ to NetGalley; the publisher, St Martin’s Press; and the author, Tatiana de Rosnay; for providing a free e-ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.