Thanks to netgalley I was able to read this advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed the story. I think the author did a wonderful job of portraying her characters. It felt like the family was real and suffering real life experiences based on the flood and other obstacles. I don't want to go into great detail and ruin the story for anyone else, but I believe it was well written. She wrote in such a way you got the feeling you were there and the characters came alive. Excellent descriptions so you could picture the entire story, rooms, surroundings, moods, lighting, you name it. Good job Tatiana. I look forward to reading more than this author.
I want to visit Paris, but only if it's not pouring rain and causing flooding! :-)

Wow, I don't know where to start. This book was a very vivid read, at times I could picture all the rain and devastation due to the flooding of the Seine. But there were a few parts of the story that were never finished. I felt lost not knowing what the end of that secondary character 's story.

Linden Malegarde, famous photographer, is meeting up with his Mother, Father, and his sister, Tilia to celebrate his father's 70th birthday and his parent's 40th wedding anniversary. Linden left home at a young age to live with his aunt in Paris. She accepted him as he was, and loved him just the same. His mother had a problem with his identity, it only made Linden want to get as far away from them as possible. He now lives in San Francisco.

This family reunion brings up old fears and discussions that finally need to be talked about by each member of the family. Only the same time that they are in Paris, the Seine is flooding the city causing great damages and both parents become ill. Linden steps up and takes over, and in the process feelings that he's buried years ago come to the surface.

He repairs his relationship with his father, and his mother admits that her own fears made her treat him cruelly years ago. He also sees that his mother isn't so perfect herself after accidentally reading a text on her phone.

An emotional read.

A fascinating and moving story. This was a very enjoyable and wonderful reading experience.
I loved the style of writing and how the characters were developed. I loved the plot and I couldn't put this book down.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to St. Martin Press and Netgalley for this ARC

A "perfect family reunion weekend" in Paris, just mother, father and grown son and daughter. How is that for a set up? Of course the son is estranged, and all attendees are carrying emotional time bombs. Significant others and offspring show up. All the while relentless rain falls and flood waters, like the familial emotions, rise threateningly around their Parisian hotel.
The characters are realistic and have a sense of humor. I found I cared about them and was glad to know their story.

The Rain Watcher by Tatiana De Rosnay

From blurb: The first new novel in four years from the beloved superstar author of Sarah's Key, a heartbreaking and uplifting story of family secrets and devastating disaster, in the tradition of THE NEST.

Beautifully written, I couldn't decide whether I was more interested in Linden Malegarde and his complex family dynamics or the Paris flood. Perhaps because I read the book so soon after watching the videos of the 2018 flood, the descriptions of the flooding of an ancient city were especially vivid.

A thoughtful book that inches up as the Seine rises--slow and deliberate. The Rain Watcher was as beautifully rendered as Linden Malegarde's photographs.

Read in April. Blog review scheduled for Oct. 9.

NetGalley/St. Martin's Press

Literary fiction. Oct. 23, 2018. Print length: 240 pages.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and to NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for my candid opinion.

This was a really, really good book. Kinda, Let me explain.

It is the story of a family meeting that takes place in Paris at the beginning of what becomes a catastrophic flood of the Seine. It is about families and how family members interact and communicate (and in this case, fail to communicate). It is about how different people express their love for each other in very different, almost incomprehensible ways.

There were about 3 different story lines that were unwinding in this book, and I was fascinated by them all. I really wanted to read this book and was reluctant to put it down. It is a compelling read.

However, perhaps I missed something while reading it, but the ending seemed somewhat abrupt and did not necessarily resolve all story lines. If I were editing this book, I would definitely ask the author to expand the resolution in this book. It almost seemed like the author had a deadline to meet and just hurriedly concluded the book. Which is a shame, as it is a very lyrical book with amazing symbolism.

I loved the writing style, I loved the subject. To me, the ending was a little abrupt.

I do look forward to reading more from this author.

Families are complicated and messy especially when there are secrets. Excellent writing and descriptions but the story had a lot of content that just didn't hold my interest. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for ARC.

I recently joined NetGalley, and was scrolling through all the gallies like a kid in a candy store when my eyes landed on The Rain Watcher. I’ve read two of Tatiana de Rosnay’s novels (Sarah's Key and A Secret Kept) and enjoyed them both, and was over the moon at the concept of joining the first group of readers reviewing her latest novel. Thankfully, it was immediately available as an eARC download, so I chose it as my first NetGalley review.

In the novel, we are introduced to Linden, a successful international photographer based in San Francisco, and his family as they prepare for a reunion trip in Paris. Linden’s sister, Tilia, lives in London with her husband and daughter, Mistral. Linden’s parents, Lauren and Paul, live in Vénozan where Paul has made himself famous for saving trees and other plant species around the world. It has been a while since they’ve spent time together, and Linden is looking forward to their reunion.

Unfortunately, as the family arrives in Paris, Paul succumbs to illness that eventually lands him in the hospital, Lauren ends up ill, and the Seine river is threatening to flood Paris, closing down the city. Tilia is paralyzed with fear from a past trauma that left her unable to enter a hospital, so she cares for Lauren while Linden waits to hear what will happen to their father.

While Paul lies in the hospital, Linden reflects on his relationship with his family, and most especially his father. They have always been distant, Paul having always been a quiet man and Linden always unsure of his father's approval. When Linden reached his teen years, he had left home to live with his aunt Candace in Paris, finally admitting to her that he was gay. It was another seven years before he told his mother, and he never mentioned it to his father. Now, Linden worries- is it too late to connect with his father?

The Rain Watcher immediately sucked me in from the beginning as de Rosnay describes a cantankerous old tree, which immediately transported me back to my younger years growing up in the woods, constantly climbing trees. By the time she introduced her characters, I was nestled into the story and felt like a quiet observer that had a front row seat to Linden's mind. As her prior novels, the plot is slowly but exquisitely revealed, and the characters' emotions are tangible through the pages. With Linden, I felt his uncertainty, his hesitation in his relationship with his father, his security in his current relationship, his artistic eye behind the Leica. I also adore the imagery that transports the reader into de Rosnay's Paris- the rues, the arrondissements, the food, and in this novel, the unabating rain washing into the Seine and rising.

Yet again, de Rosnay has shared an intimate, emotional novel that easily resonates with the reader, and I know I'll be adding a hardcopy to my collection of her books when it becomes available (expected publication date October 23, 2018).

I was looking forward to reading this book because I loved Sarah's Key so much. Sadly though this wasn't one of my favorites. The writing is absolutely beautiful and the setting (Paris during an unending rainstorm/flooding Seine situation) becomes one of the characters in a beautiful way. But it was just a little too slow for me. At the start there were a lot of characters to remember, with bits and pieces of each one's backstory (Tilia, Linden, Paul, Lauren Linden's aunt...,). And then the secrets each one was holding on to took a while to be revealed and didn't really seem connected in any major way. I really wanted to love it but it missed the mark a bit for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I loved "Sarah's Key" and so I had high hopes for this one. But it turns out that I was disappointed in this book. The storyline never really pulled me in and the characters felt flat to me.

LOVEDLOVEDLOVED this spellbinding tale - couldn't put the book down and I read it in record time. This story is incredibly sophisticated and well written. A family is together for a week in Paris during one of the worst floods in history. It shifts between first person and third person, and it is this facet of the book that keeps the reader somewhat confused, but in a wonderful way. The lives of all family members are full of unique sufferings, and this story illuminates how we all need saving.

I would recommend this book for those of us readers who enjoy an emotional ride, and and who love to empathize with the characters and relationships.

4 atmospheric stars!

From the first page of this story, I felt as if I was transported into the rain drenched city of Paris, France. The pitter-pattering of the rain against windows, the splashing through endless puddles, the droplets of rain dripping from umbrellas, the constant measure of the waters’ rise. I was entranced by the intensity and beauty of the atmosphere of this novel. The scenes felt so real and vivid that my imagination didn’t have to do much work at all.

This novel follows Linden Malegarde, famous photographer and youngest son of the Malegarde family. He is meeting his parents, sister and niece in Paris to celebrate his father’s seventieth birthday. While in Paris, a natural disaster strikes, causing extreme flooding and devastation.

Told with exquisitely beautiful writing, Tatiana de Rosnay, captures a family gathering full of love, angst, fear, secrets and uncertainty. Each character adds a deeper layer of intrigue to the family dynamic. This novel has an intense sense of sadness and melancholy, but is deeply touching and emotional. I highly recommend this book, but warn readers to pick it up only when ready for a slower, emotional journey.

A big thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Tatiana de Rosnay for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Expected Date of Publication: October 23, 2018.

A family is set for a reunion - to celebrate the 70th birthday of the father - Paul Malegarde in Paris. The family hasn’t been together for a while - Linden flies in from San Francisco and Tilia from London join their mother Lauren and father Paul, who have traveled from their home in France's Drome Valley. From the start, we get the sense that there are undercurrents lurking beneath the surface - all seems fairly placid above. But like the incessant rain that is filling the Seine to overcapacity and flooding Paris to capacity, so are the innermost secrets, emotions and unforgettable happenings that have been suppressed for so long and define each of family member. The story unfolds through the eyes of Linden, now a world famous photographer - the story of Paul’s family and Paul’s love of all things related to trees, plants, nature, his fame as Mr. Treeman and how Paul and Lauren first met. And we move into Linden and Tilia's lives…Interspersed between the story unfolding, is the disastrous flooding of Paris as the rain continues unabated. Nature’s power is only equal to the floodgate of memories that are triggered as a result of the reunion and a devastating event. Beautiful descriptions of nature - of the land, trees, flooding; of unexpressed emotion, hurt and pain, fears and secrets, things unsaid - so much happened to this family, it’s surprisingly it wasn't more dysfunctional. Overall, I enjoyed the storyline and the writing kept the book moving at a nice pace. There were a couple of instances where the reader is left asking why - so all things weren’t left neat and tidy but then that’s life. I also thought the author could have spent a bit more time on the conclusion. I liked the character Linden – he had heavy weights to bear and I also liked Candice, Linden’s aunt - what a gem she was. All in all - I enjoyed the book - it definitely mirrors real life - families are complex, relationships are difficult and not everything in life gets to be tied up with a nice red bow! This was my fourth De Rosnay book and I enjoyed it the best. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the early read.

I am a huge fan of Tatiana de Rosnay and I was so excited to dive into this book!

The Rain Watcher is a powerful family drama set against the backdrop of a Paris flood ( the flood doesn’t really fit in)
The Malegarde family is reuniting to celebrate the dads 70 th Birthday
Family drama and family tradegu strikes.
I found this a difficult read

NetGalley gave me an advanced copy of this book. The Rain Watcher tells the story of Linden's family reunion in Paris as personal disasters strike and Paris begins to flood. This book would have made an excellent short story, but there was not enough plot for even the slim 240 pages this book took up. The author tried to fill the book with heavy handed symbolism and long description paragraphs, most of which I skimmed through. The characters were interesting but very few of them were fully fleshed out. It's an okay read for a rainy day (especially because of the non-stop rain descriptions) but I'd say to fill your time with a better book.

Tatiana de Rosnay writes beautiful novels, usually set in Paris, that capture the hearts and minds of readers.

I read Sarah’s Kay back in 2011 and wasn’t terribly as impressed as I had hoped. I find that I am in the minority when it comes to this opinion. But since then I’ve seen a number of her books climbing the bestseller lists with speed—though I haven’t read any others.

Could it have been the mood I was in at the time that made me not love her book? Sure. So while I kept an open mind about her other books, I wasn’t moved enough by their descriptions to pick any of them up. But that all changed then I got the pitch for this one.

The Rain Watcher is a powerful family drama set in Paris as the Malegarde family gathers to celebrate the father’s 70th birthday. Their hidden fears and secrets are slowly unraveled as the City of Light undergoes a stunning natural disaster. Seen through the eyes of charismatic photographer Linden Malegarde, the youngest son, 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 (summary from Goodreads).

Who doesn’t love a family drama set in Paris? The setting immediately sucks readers in with its beautiful landscapes, rich history, and romantic setting. It makes for an excellent location and I loved how well it worked within the novel itself. The weather also plays a big part in this story and helps highlight different moods/tones of this book. While part of me felt like this was a little cliche and obvious, I still liked how the weather worked in the narrative.

De Rosnay writes with a lot of heart in her novels and this was no exception. It is clear that this book is going to be a bit of an emotional roller coaster with complex relationship and plot points. While it is that, there is something about the ending that feels unfinished to me. I remember thinking that about Sarah’s Key—it just felt unfinished and abrupt for me when it came to the ending and I felt the same thing in this book. By the end I was just sitting there musing over the fact that that was it—-and that I was wanting so much more.

This isn’t a fluff read—so if you are hoping for something lighter, then look elsewhere. This book has the feel of a heavier steak dinner. There is a lot for the reader to sink their teeth into. The plot is full of rich prose and well written plot points and characters.

Linden, the main character, was easily my favorite and he is very well developed and easily relatable. The main plot was intriguing but the side stories didn’t seem to be adding much to the greater story. At times I felt distracted by the side stories and wanted to abandon them in favor of the main story because it was much more substantial.

Mechanically this is a great book. Beautiful setting, likable characters, moody weather related backdrop in Paris, and powerful family drama. The writing is practiced and well executed, quick/fast paced and readers will see De Rosnay’s signature style immediately. But the ending is abrupt and some of the other side stories were a distraction for me. I thought about giving this one 3.5 stars but ultimately bumped it up to 4 because I liked Linden so much.

Challenge/Book Summary:

Book: The Rain Watcher by Tatiana de Rosnay

Kindle Edition, 240 pages
Expected publication: October 23rd 2018 by St. Martin’s Press
ASIN B079DW43L6
Review copy provided by: Author/Publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This book counts toward: NA

Hosted by: NA
Books for Challenge Completed: NA
Recommendation: 4 out of 5

Genre: Historical fiction

Memorable lines/quotes:

An elegant literary novel about a family drama that plays out during the 70th birthday of the Malegarde patriarch. A momentous storm brews outside in Paris while an equally fierce emotional storm thunders inside the gathering. De Rosnay's writing is gorgeous, holding us close while family fireworks and massive floods threaten to engulf all. 5/5

Thanks to the author, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.

#TheRainWatcher #NetGalley

A beautiful book about the intracaies in a family and how being faced with a tradegy can open them up and change who they are and how they interact.

I really enjoy Linden, the main character and all of the members of his family that are introduced in this story, and how he as a photographer sees the world around him.

I do have some lingering unanswered questions, like how what happened to Susan afffected him, and what of his mother and fathers relationship? I feel like they had a lot of time spent on them but remained open and not completed.

Overall I really enjoyed this book, and would have to give it 4.5 stars! Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this title in exchange for an honest personal review.

Tatiana de Rosnay’s newest book details an historic Parisian flood as the backdrop for a family celebration turned tragic. The story unfolds very slowly, with exquisite details of the rising flood waters and the impact in the city. The family drama moves forward slowly as well, without the same level of development as the flood storyline.

The plot intensifies a bit near the end, as the main character seeks to fulfill an odd request from his dying father. This request connects to an unanchored flashback that appears to pop up in the book at random. This flashback is confusing and sorely underdeveloped.

This is a beautifully written book but was a struggle to finish because of the lack of a compelling plot. Thank you to NetGalley and St. martin’s press for an advance review copy in return for an honest review.

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 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.