After the Rain

by Aisling Smith

'A stirring, magical, and emotional novel about family, belonging, marriage, race, and culture ... The best novels are never long enough, and you won't want After the Rain to end' The Australian
'A staggering soulful achievement' The Australian Women's Weekly

Malti Fortune is uneasy. She has turned away from her birthplace of Fiji to make a new life in Melbourne. But all that she thought was certain is now in danger of being swept away. Her husband, Benjamin, a linguist, is a conundrum. He has changed. Or has she? The stories and superstitions of her childhood are telling her something she knows but doesn't want to hear - about being a trespasser, about not belonging.

In the years to come, Malti and Benjamin's daughters are also to learn some hard truths. For Ellery, the hands-on father of her memories vanishes for months on end and the remembered fragments of good times aren't enough to sustain her anymore. Verona, on the verge of adulthood, can't imagine a world without her beloved Dad. He is her rock and hero. But Malti and Ellery both know that you can't depend on Benjamin.

What makes a family? What does home look like? All three women are seeking answers. Each is haunted by her own ghosts. And by Benjamin. To find what they are looking for, they need to be honest with themselves and make peace with their own unreliable memories.

After the Rain is a moving, exquisitely observed novel about marriage and family, dislocation, culture and belonging, from an exciting new voice in Australian literature.

'A beautifully realised exploration of family, identity and dislocation. Smith beautifully captures complicated feelings around building a home in a new country, choosing your own path in life and realising your parents are just people, too' Books and Publishing
'A thunderous debut full of life, love and legends. A truly sensational read!' WINNIE DUNN
'Aisling Smith's debut novel ... amply demonstrates her ability to write well and create complex and likeable characters. This is a novel about marriage, family dynamics and the attempt to live between two cultures and lands. I highly recommend it' Australian Book Review
'An evocative and powerful story about marriage, culture, family and the uncertainties of love in all its forms' Kill Your Darlings
'[like] Anne Tyler ... Smith is a powerful novelist with an extraordinary eye for the nuances of human bonds. Smith has written these characters with intelligence and compassion, imbuing them with a convincing complexity and fallibility that engenders remarkable authenticity' Kill Your Darlings
'Complex and textured ... An intricate, subtly shaded exploration of the role disillusionment plays in shaping families - whether in love, between cultures, or through realising your parents are flawed human beings' WA Today

Genres: Fiction

314 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 26, 2023

Reviews

[nina.reads.books · Rating 3 out of 5]

After the Rain is the debut novel of Australian author Aisling Smith. I found this to be a solid family focussed contemporary read which I enjoyed but ultimately wanted a little bit more from.

The book is a bitter-sweet look at a family over time with the focus shifting points of view in different decades starting with Malti Fortune in the eighties and her relationship with husband Benjamin. This is followed by the POV of her daughter Ellery when she is aged 11 in 2000 and then second daughter Verona when she is aged 16 in 2006.

Each of the women reflect on the interactions between the family members centring around their feelings towards Benjamin as a husband and ex-husband, a hands on father and an absent father.

Along the way Malti’s heritage as a Fijian Indian and migrant to Australia is a thread that impacts the women in different ways. The way the author lifts elements of Fijian folklore into the storyline was nicely done.

Overall I enjoyed the read. It was easy to read and I was able to fly through each of the three parts in a single sitting at a time. But I did find the story a little simplistic and the shifting POV meant that I felt like we didn’t get to know any of the three women as deeply as I would have liked. Nevertheless a good book that I think will appeal to many readers.

Thank you to @hachetteaus for my #gifted copy.

[Craig and Phil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Big thanks to Hachette for sending us a copy to read and review.
The trials and tribulations, the raw emotions and the pure essence of family dynamics is captured like ingredients of a sauce and bottled for the reader to reflect.
The spectrum and depth reflected an authenticity that a reader can relate to.
Malti and Benjamin like all married couples enjoy a honeymoon period, the excitement of a new house and dreams of what the future holds.
Emotional distance and cracks appear as long working hours and travel impede the love bubble.
Malti moved from Fiji, a place where her family are facing political turmoil and danger.
The eruptions between Indigenous and the Indian population reflect a long sad history and no real resolution.
Two daughters later and a divorce see a new era emerge.
An absent dad and the holiday shuffle creates emotional chasms for the oldest girl.
The journey and experiences of both girls vastly different as life forges ahead.
I was blown away by how much I was immersed in this narrative.
It was flavoured differently, it was real and immensely enjoyable.
Definitely an author to watch out for.

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

After the Rain is the debut novel from Melbourne based author Aisling Smith. This book has been sitting on my TBR since its release and after reading it I can’t believe that I waited so long!

Cleverly told through the eyes of three women: Malti and her two daughters Ellery and Verona, After the Rain is a beautifully evocative story of marriage, family and belonging which tore at my heart.

It begins in 1987 with Malti, whose husband, Benjamin has recently become more distant and is often absent from home. She starts examining their past to make sense of their current relationship and notices things that she glossed over at the time. Benjamin is a linguist and words and their importance play a huge role in this story. One of my favourites quotes:

“Perhaps this is not a world of words, but a web of words. Words which have become trapping, ravenous, consuming - with a hunger of their own.”

Malti is originally from Fiji but her family were brought from India, so she has always felt displaced and not quite at home. As she struggles to make a life in Melbourne, the theme of belonging permeates the story for both Malti and her daughters.

My favourite part of the book, was Ellery’s story set in the early 2000s. Her difficult relationship with her father was very relatable and one that broke my heart just a little.

The book is full of love, hope, sorrow and heartbreak, as each of these women find their place in the world and within their family.

After the Rain was poignant and addictive and with its Melbourne setting it felt very familiar. The writing is lilting and moving and I found it so easy to just keep on reading.

I’ll leave you with one final quote which resonated with me:

“Maybe it’s okay to see people for who they truly are and love them anyway.”

[Marles Henry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Malti came from Fiji to study law in Melbourne in 1975. She found life and love in the 1980s with Benjamin, the linguist. Yet she still felt disconnected from the Australian way of life, longing for her family and her home in Fiji. Her desire to be home with her family increased as the coups intensified over time and her life in Australia is equally challenged. Ellery and Verona are Malti and Benjamin’s two daughters, and this book also contained their points of view. It is a sad tale of these three women, who strive to be brave and at times, come from a perspective of tough love.

There is a lot of work in this book to unpack each of the characters, especially Malti, Ellery and Verona. They also have this fascinating interplay with Benjamin, whose background as a linguist is quite fitting for his character. He seems so careful and strategic with his words and is very aware of knowledge of words and language interacts play on thought, connection, and place of origin. It is equally fascinating to see which of the three women are more immune to his use of language, and manipulation of words with emotions. Ellery can see through Benjamin’s empty words, almost in the same vein as her mother, yet projects anger and hostility that is hard to resolve. Verona sees and hears her father through rose coloured glasses, and loves his carefree approach to life; this is what drives Ellery and Verona apart.

I wished for more of the Fijian Indian stories to permeate through the book, almost like a fable to the story of Malti. I think that was an element that could have strengthened the theme of cultural identity especially with Verona and Ellery as they grew older. All in all, a thought provoking book.

[Raveena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really really enjoyed reading this novel - it really satisfied that "page turner" itch of mine ! Which is surprising considering it's not a thriller by any means but it goes to show that all you need is good writing to keep you hooked.

I feel like the book held a purpose throughout and it wasn't storytelling for the sake of it. I feel like it delved into a lot of things that I think often about when it comes to marriage, divorce, parenting and death. I appreciated the simplicity in the way in which the storylines developed as nothing was embellished, the time jumps felt like big blimps and it was jarring at how quickly things in life change but that is what life is actually like.

The story just felt really real to me, there wasn't any shocking twists and turns or evil characters - just exploration of challenges that we face when being a wife, daughter and sister. Having these three different perspectives during different periods of life, was so clever and provided such an interesting perspective on how different life stages affect different people. This was really interestingly unravelled between Benjamin and his two daughters. I felt a lot of empathy for Verona and Ellery.

The recount of both Verona and Ellery's experience going through high school made me feel really nostalgic and perfectly captured the specialness of that end of year 12 period. I hadn't thought about those memories for a while and it was nice to reflect on them.

Once again, don't judge a book by its cover as I feel the cover doesn't do this book justice!

[Belle Acton · Rating 3 out of 5]

After the rain is a well written novel about a inter racial family living in Melbourne told over two generations. I enjoyed reading this to the extent that is was smooth and easy storey telling however I wanted more. There were times when I felt the author might be telling the story of her own family which can come across as lacking in imagination. The character Benjamin had hints of something interesting about him but he was a linguist, and so painting him as being a bit of a bad boy seemed at odds with reality. I think this is a solid debut novel and would like to see the author use her skills to tell a bigger more exciting storey. I would read her second novel but if I were to recommend this one to anyone, I would caveat it with a warning that it's a bit on the slow side. I would also say that though it is well written, some things came across as pretentious. Particularly the constant instruction on linguistics and the reference at the end to something called petricor, which I've never in my life heard of and apparently refers to the after the rain metaphor.

[Alice Jones1234567 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went to the library to collect some books put aside for me, and saw this one on display. I had never heard of Aisling Smith, After The Rain or the Richell Prize, but just borrowed it on a whim. I’m very glad I did, because I really enjoyed this - right the way through. I read it in two sittings.

The book is in three parts, told from Malti (Mum) Ellery (eldest daughter) and Verona (youngest daughter)’s perspectives, about their relationship with Benjamin (father and husband).

Aisling Smith has a gift for portraying the messiness of relationships and everyday life in a way that helps us see things from these three very different perspectives. It’s food for thought about marriage, family and identity. It’s also a coming of age novel for the two girls, and in portraying Malti’s early life as a student in an Australia that is a bit indifferent to her, and in the pre-children part of her marriage to Benjamin.

I highly recommend this book and I look forward to seeing what Aisling Smith writes next.

[Adi · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Aisling Smith debut novel she emerges as a “literary painter” with an exquisite talent for drawing vivid pictures of characters and situations.
This makes her book “After the rain” a very easy to read page turner.
It carries the reader away easily through a multi layered story of relationships, identity and internal turmoil.

There is a feeling of gentleness that goes through the novel, even in rather complicated and confrontational situations. It allows the reader the freedom of quiet contemplation without the imposition of the author’s perspective. Each reader is able to focus on one or more of the stories and reflect on them.

The author keeps the reference to the name of the book to the very end of the novel, it gives it a special quality which lingers after you turn the last pages.

The book is a highly recommended delightful and enriching read.

Now looking forward in anticipation to Smith’s future works!

[Hanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

After the Rain is a book which invites you into the life of four main characters: A Mother, two daughters and an absent father.
It is an intimate fascinating journey that the author invites you to take part in.

In a book I very much love to observe the interaction and dynamics between the players. Smith’s direct writing opened the doors and has drawn me into the narrative.
The focus of the story is the subtle, yet direct honest description of rather loaded inter-personal situations. It is not a judgemental view, so it puts the reader in a position of an unbiased observer.
This is a great quality which I appreciated very much. It made the reading of Smith’s novel such a rewarding pleasure.

I can wholeheartedly recommend it as a thought provoking flowing read.

[Nalini Naidu · Rating 5 out of 5]

A compelling read, exploring human emotions, relationships, marriage and divorce, death, identity, racism and cultures and this being no mean feat for any author! Smith does all this with maturity. The story is realistic and characters vividly presented. There is effort in the creation of characters and interesting how the mother, Malti and daughters, Ellery and Verona relate to and handle emotions with Benjamin, husband and father. The Fijian and Fiji Indian folklores resonated with me as did the Indian foods. Big smile. I have admiration for the debut novelist and anticipate with pleasure her future novels.

[Pete · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a debut novel, I was impressed by the maturity of the story and in particular, it's structure over three time periods, with each being seen through the eyes of each of the main characters. There's some beautiful and evocative turns of phrase woven throughout the book, which together with the references to Fijian folklore, give the book a sometimes otherworldly quality. I found the evocation of family depicted quite moving in parts, as each woman struggles to hold onto a relationship with Benjamin as a husband or father. Overall, I'd highly recommend this book.

[Tom Buchanan · Rating 5 out of 5]

After the Rain is an exquisitely crafted narrative that draws you into its characters, and conjures empathy in the reader for each of them. Aisling Smith’s writing style guides the reader effortlessly as the story unfolds, and yet there is never the slightest hint of heavy-handedness or authorial intrusion. This is an astonishing accomplishment in a first novel from a young Australian writer, whose future works I cannot wait to read! Highly recommended.

[Bronwen Heathfield · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting story of a family and the relationship each of the women have with the father - the wife and both daughters. It kept my attention but I did get annoyed with the father character. Not sure enough was made of the Fiji Indian connection. Wonder if you didn’t know Melbourne or Australia if it would resonate.

[Jade Van · Rating 5 out of 5]

Malti, Ellery and Verona all have one thing in common - Benjamin. For Malti, the first wife, he’s the lost dreams of a planned life together. For Ellery, the eldest daughter, he’s the absent father who constantly disappointed her. For Verona, the youngest daughter, he’s the hero and light of her life. All 3 must reconcile their versions of Benjamin with the others. Spectacular.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went into this one blind and absolutely loved the first part. But unfortunately there were two more parts that left me wanting to be transported back to the beginning. Each part is told from the POV by a different person - Malti, Ellery and Verona. While it was interesting to get an insight into their different motivations and thoughts it felt very disjointed as I felt things that were being bought up were not getting resolved or having any type of closure. The book touches on many different things - racism, relationship break down, culture, family expectations - but never explored them in a satisfactory way. I would have loved the book to be more gritty and detailed, instead it felt like it just skimmed the surface of issues and then jumped to something completely different.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read it easily and quickly. Enjoyed the time jumps, but still felt like I was left wanting with some elements of the characters and storylines by the end.

[lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕

A love letter to the Australian upper middle class, perfectly interwoven with relatability, narrative and tragedy.

[Kerissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

[Kushmir · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have no words.

[Walter.Stoppgmail.Com · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed this novel and related to the attachment the main characters had to the house on Beach Road and the sentimentality associated with separating from it when it was sold.

[Griflet]

Not my cuppa. Don’t like the voice.