Die Regenkönigin

by Katherine Scholes

Kate kann ihre Kindheit in Tansania nicht vergessen. Damals wurden ihre Eltern auf grausame Weise umgebracht. Als eines Tages eine fremde Frau in Kates Nachbarhaus einzieht, ahnt sie nicht, dass mit ihr die Vergangenheit erneut in bedrohliche Nähe gerückt ist: Bei der neuen Nachbarin handelt es sich um Annah, die einst im Leben ihrer Eltern eine große Rolle spielte. Und Annah erzählt Kate von ihrem Leben in Afrika und was damals wirklich geschah...

Kate kann ihre Kindheit in Tansania nicht vergessen. Damals wurden ihre Eltern auf grausame Weise umgebracht. Als eines Tages eine fremde Frau in Kates Nachbarhaus
einzieht, ahnt sie nic ht, dass mit ihr die Ver gangenheit erneut in greifbare Nähe gerückt ist: Bei der neuen Nachbarin handelt es sich um Annah, die einst im Leben ihrer Eltern eine große Rolle spielte. Und Annah erzählt Kate von ihrem Leben in Afrika und was damals wirklich geschah ...

Der Roman über das Schicksal einer außergewöhnlichen und mutigen Frau vor dem Hintergrund des geheimnisvollen Afrikas!

Genres: Africa, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance, Roman, Novels, Tanzania

590 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Katherine Scholes was born in Tanzania, East Africa, the daughter of a missionary doctor and an artist. She has fond memories of travelling with her parents and siblings on long safaris to remote areas where her father operated a clinic from his Land Rover. When she was ten, the family left Tanzania, going first to England and then settling in Tasmania. As an adult, Katherine moved to Melbourne with her film-maker husband. After working there for many years, writing books and making films, they returned with their two sons to live in Tasmania.

Katherine's internationally bestselling novels have been translated into numerous languages. She is especially popular in Germany and France, where she has sold over two million books.

Reviews

[Takoneando entre libros · Rating 5 out of 5]

Después de una laaaaaarga racha de sequía lectora, encontrar un libro como este es similar a lo que debe sentir un viajero sediento ante un oasis en el desierto. Al fin después de muchos meses, tengo en mis manos un libro que me ha dejado sentimiento de orfandad al cerrarlo...ese sentimiento de no querer empezar ninguna otra historia para no serle infiel a estos personajes a los que tanto cariño has cogido.
Bueno...que me enrollo...me da rabia, pues siento que no voy a ser capaz de transmitiros de verdad el sentimiento que me ha generado esta novela; me temo que estoy desentrenada después de tantos meses sin reseñar.
Os comento que nada más comenzar el libro ya hay una escena que fue la que me cautivó...tan visual, tan mágicamente descrita que pude sentir el olor de la tierra bajo la lluvia, ver los colores de las telas, oír los cánticos...fue tan mágica que al acabar el libro volví al principio para poder releerla de nuevo. Os cuento, por si lo leéis, que es la escena del entierro con la llegada de un grupo bastante variopinto, no digo más.
En esta novela vais a encontrar una historia de aventuras, romance, ternura, tradiciones, pero en particular vais a encontrar homenajes y buenas dosis de reflexiones sobre la religión y la medicina y el choque o simbiosis con el mundo africano.
Y el mayor homenaje que hace la autora es esa referencia constante al libro "Memorias de África" que siempre lleva la protagonista consigo...y que yo no he podido quitarme de la cabeza tampoco.
Vais a encontrar una novela matriarcal, una historia de mujeres, desde las protagonistas hasta las secundarias...todas maravillosas... pero hay tres personajes masculinos que serán los compañeros de la protagonista y que cada uno de ellos aportará algo completamente diferente al otro... esto hace que la historia tenga una gran riqueza.
Me ha gustado mucho como se pone de manifiesto que no deberia estar reñida la medicina de laboratorio con un cocimiento de hierbas para desinfectar, o que se puede pertenecer a una iglesia determinada y a la vez valorar los ritos y celebraciones de un pueblo...nada debería estar reñido y en la historia se demuestra que cuando se quiere aprender y respetar todo el mundo se enriquece de ello.
Por otro lado os quería hablar de algo que en el libro se refleja muy bien...el arraigo con las personas que no son de tu sangre...la familia que te acoge y se escoge... personas que encuentras en el camino y que harán que tu casa sean ellas.
He dicho que no me iba a enrollar y parece que lo he hecho... Pero es que este libro merece esta parrafada, esta y más si va a animaros a leerlo.
¿Recomendaría este libro? Sí, sin duda alguna. No os voy a negar que es un poco "culebrón", pero es de los buenos buenos; sin escenas forzadas ni personajes estereotipados y muy bien documentado...de los que se merecerían tener una gran película. Un libro que va creciendo a medida que vas agotando sus páginas. Un libro que hace que puedas ver los colores de África, sentir su latido, escuchar sus tambores, oler su tierra, tocar con tus manos la piel agrietada de una anciana. Un libro que me ha emocionado hasta las lágrimas en algún momento y que ya se ha ganado puesto de honor en mi biblioteca.

[Clare Maxwell-stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my relatively rare re-read books. Katherine Scholes is one of the authors I look for as I leave on a holiday, hoping there will be a new one for a guaranteed good read. This is a rich, complex and very well-written story with engaging characters. The background comes alive despite the very sparse use of descriptive language. The writer evokes my own African experiences authentically and I appreciate the fact she avoids the simplistic negative assumptions about the role of white aid workers that is so common in contemporary writing, and allows for a more respectful and humane appreciation of the costs and commitments of these characters.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Rain Queen by Katherine Scholes is an adventure and saga set in Africa.

It was superb and wonderful reading showing some of the true colours of Africa. The softer hues, like the flesh of a guava. A rainy sunset with Pink Flamingos.

It was so interesting hearing the telling of witchcraft and witchdoctors with the most important character, The Rain Queen.

It will keep you reading late into the night as it really is utterly bewitching.

Exotic and magical,

The Rain Queen by Katherine Scholes.

I'm looking forward to the new novel Congo Dawn coming out this April 2017 after reading the preview.

[Penny McDonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favourite of the Katherine Scholes books. I love all her books have a second copy of them to lend to people. Rain Queen is the one I give to people to read first because it is so good. It moves between the past and present and between Australia and Africa. It is beautifully written and the story and images I saw when reading the book will stay with me for ever. This book had an impact on my life and I am truly grateful to the author for creating such an amazing journey for us the readers to travel on.

[Janine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and learning a bit about the history of Tanzania with really interesting characters.

[AliciaRojo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply amazing

[Coloma · Rating 2 out of 5]

Qué pena. Lo cogí con muchas ganas pero no pudo ser... No he conectado nada con la protagonista (demasiadas diferencias importantes entre nosotras) ni siquiera con la historia. Interesantes narraciones sobre África y sus formas de vida, de hecho por eso principalmente me llamaba la atención este libro, pero poco más. Se queda en un simple "no está mal".

[Kira · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 sterne sind nicht genug. I ugly cried. So ein wunderschönes Buch. Es ist das schönste Buch, dass ich je gelesen habe.

[Carinya Kappler · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Rain Queen by Katherine Scholes is a well written entertaining modern day novel based on the lives of 3 missionaries who venture into the most primitive parts of East Africa to bring the Christian gospel to native Africans. This is only possible to achieve by offering medical assistance, education, protection and support for needy desperate local people.
Not surprisingly I found myself unable to accept the enormous level of sacrifice plus the diminished safety of the mission families and wondered whether their small drop of compassion in the ocean of human misery and superstition made any long term changes to the nation as a whole. However, for the few people whose lives were touched by the nurse Annah and her fellow missionaries Michael and Sarah the impact was life changing.
This book is charged with the power of dedication in the face of odds that would send most people scuttling for home. These characters are a certain breed of people. They are tenacious, generous, illogical, sometimes bigoted, driven unrelentingly by their chosen calling and always loyal to their hearts while experiencing treachery all around.
Carinya

[Lily Mu · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the few books that followed me through 4 provinces! I absolutely loved reading it the first and second time, and the third time (just this past week) was just as good as I remembered. Great book!

[Country Mum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining page turner bordering on melodramatic but none the less worth reading. Enjoyable but don't expect to ponder on the meaning of life.

[Kiki Hopcraft · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found this frustrating- felt like the first three quarters of the story lacked something. The story overall was nice, but the way it played out was unfulfilling.

[Gisela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Preciosa, cruda, realista, y con esa cualidad atemporal de las buenas historias.

[La_antonnita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amena lectura donde se complementa una narrativa correcta con un argumento que no está mal, en tierras africanas.

[Ellie Tsiamis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This booking was so engaging and one of my favourite reads. I loved the African culture dispersed throughout the book, the setting, the characters, everything

[Iris Rademacher · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5 Würde ich gebe, wenn möglich. Ein kleiner Abzug, da das Buch für mich noch politischer hätte sein dürfen.

Inhalt:

Kate kann ihre Kindheit in Tansania nicht vergessen. Damals wurden ihre Eltern auf grausame Weise umgebracht. Als eines Tages eine fremde Frau in Kates Nachbarhaus einzieht, ahnt sie nicht, dass mit ihr die Vergangenheit erneut ein greifbare Nähe gerückt ist: Bei der neuen Nachbarin handelt es sich um Annah, die einst im Leben ihrer Eltern eine große Rolle spielte. Und Annah erzählt Kate von ihrem Leben in Afrika und was damals wirklich geschah...

Rezension:

Tansania in den 70er Jahren: Der Missionsarzt Michael Carrington und seine Frau Sarah werden brutal ermordet aufgefunden. Neben der toten Sarah entdeckt man einen Fetisch - eine Puppe mit rotem Haar, so rot wie das Haar der Frau, die an jenem Abend als Letzte die Station besucht hatte... Für Annah besaß Afrika stets eine besondere Faszination - es war das Land ihrer Träume. Von der schüchternen Krankenschwester mit tausend Ängsten und Fragen entwickelte sie sich bald zu einer mutigen Frau, die sich für das Leben der Schwarzen einsetzte, ihre geheimnisvollen Heilmethoden und Bräuche erlernte.

Die Story ist wirklich gut und sie lässt sich gut lesen. Kürzlich war ich in Ruanda und habe natürlich das Genozid Museum in Kigali besucht. Somit ging mir diese Geschichte nah.
Die Erzählungen zu den Dörfern mit den einfachen Bewohnern hat mir gut gefallen, da wir auch durch Ruanda durch viele kleine Dörfer mit unbefestigten Straßen fuhren. Ein kleiner Hinweis auf Diane Fossey, der Primaten - Schimpansen Forscherin war zu lesen auf ihren Spuren waren wir auch unterwegs.

Es ist ein leicht zu lesendes Buch. Mir hat es sehr gut gefallen und ich gebe es gleich einer Freundin weiter, deren Sohn in Ruanda lebt und schon häufiger in Tansania war.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me awhile to get into this one but once Annah start's her story, I found I had trouble putting this down.

This is a novel whose core is about forgiveness. Kate Carrington is a woman haunted by the brutal murder of her missionary parents in Africa when she was only a child. The missionaries who raised her tell stories of her parents being martyrs to the cause but their stories are often at odds with Kate's own memories. The notoriety and lack of concrete knowledge surrounding the event leads Kate to distance herself from everything that could possibly remind her yet her actions are unconsciously driven by it.

Annah Mason is desperate to unburden herself of a difficult truth, she has lead an incredible life that has seen her defy and exceeded everyone around her. Hers story is one that you need to start at the beginning to understand the end and it's an extraordinary story filled with isolation and strength.

The River Queen is a story of strong women set amongst the backdrop of what becomes Tanzania in time of upheaval. Scholes writing is like a lullaby that paints the beauty of the African landscape while never shying away from it's horrors and hardships. Beautifully written and gloriously easy to read, it's the type of novel that you fall into and get swept away with, only glancing up to be shocked at the amount of time that has passed.

The female presence within this novel is extremely strong. At it's core it's a story about strong, resilient women and it's nearly always men that prove to be the obstacles outside of the environment. There are, on occasion, some extremely frustrating male arrogance that is so typical. Ugh. You can see where it's going before it goes but not in a annoyingly predictable way but just in a *sigh* reality way.

[andrea gayle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly didn’t know what to expect. I had wanted to read a novel set in Africa as I plan to visit the continent. The novel was recommended by a blogger, and my interest piqued by all the fantastic GR reviews. I felt compelled to order a copy from Australia, and I am so glad I did.

Scholes storytelling is so enchanting … An epic saga of friendship, feminism, seekers of self, and yes, love spun in unexpected ways.

The descriptions created a deep sense of place, relatable despite the setting being over 50 years ago. I so appreciated the timeless narrative about finding one’s self, and the discovery that comes from moving forward one step at a time.

I cannot wait to experience the magic of Tanzania firsthand. And I especially cannot wait to feel the bark of a baobab tree and to witness the flight of flamingos.

[Tania Martins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Estava com bastantes expectativas em relação a este livro depois de ler o anterior da autora. Inicialmente custou-me a entrar na história porque começamos por conhecer Kate e só depois percebemos a história trágica que tem como pano de fundo África. Achei o desenrolar da trama muito pesada, ainda que se passe numa altura difícil, a enfermagem e os cuidados médicos nas missões eram muito difíceis e todas as descrições vão de encontro a tragédia humana e emocional. Mesmo depois de conhecermos Annah e todo o seu percurso de vida marcado por momentos traumáticos e escolhas difíceis fica aquela sensação que podia ter tido uma ponta de sorte, vale muito pelas descrições das paisagens e nisso África é um pano de fundo incrível...tão cedo não irei ler nada da autora.

[Moreninha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comencé esta novela, animada por las buenas reseñas y, mientras no avancé mucho, pensé que estaba leyendo una muestra del subgénero paisajístico con toque de Memorias de África. Pero resultó que no. Aunque no puedo decir que sea el tipo de novela que más me enamore, su autora ha conseguido involucrarme absolutamente en las andanzas de sus protagonistas, crear una trama con personajes inolvidables y contarnos vidas totalmente merecedoras de ser relatadas. Encantadoras las escenas relativas a los sentimientos, a las emociones. En fin, que he llegado a comprender perfectamente la altísima puntuación que tiene esta novela en GR.

[Anna Plishak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Красива історія про кохання, дружбу, самовідданість, дія якої відбувається на теренах загадкової Африки.
⠀
Анна марила Африкою відтоді, як прочитала листи своєї тітки, яка була міссіонерською медсестрою у цій країні. Дівчина не бачила для себе іншого шляху і цілеспрямовано йшла до мети. Але, приїхавши до омріяної країни, стикнулася з труднощами, про які не підозрювала.
⠀
Дівчина знайшла в Африці справжню дружбу і кохання. Тут же її спіткали найтяжчі і найболючіші втрати. Та свій біль вона тамувала допомогою іншим.
⠀
Книга дуже цікава і атмосферна. Описи казкові. Персонажі яскраві. Події динамічні. Попри великий об'єм та іноземну мову, читалася легко.

[Patti O'Hara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book for free at a closing down sale as a bonus for spending over $30. I put it away and completely forgot about it till recently I was looking for a book to re-read when I found it. It's not my usual genre although my tastes are becoming more eclectic. I'm so glad I opened it as once I did, I couldn't put it down. It was so beautifully written and the events, characters and setting absolutely enthralled me. I had some knowledge of missionaries and the amazing work they do in remote countries but this was astounding. Such a beautiful read and very highly recommended.

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read. Out of all the books I have read over the last six months, and I have read many, The Rain Queen is one of my favorites. You always know when a book is something special - it touches your soul with it's content and characters. And when you are still thinking about that book weeks after, and recommending it to your friends, you are on to a winner.
Plenty of substance, easy to follow but polished writing style, and great cast of characters. Well done.

[AnoukLibrary]

Dépaysant, captivant, passionnant, La Reine des pluies est un roman riche et profond qui se sert de l’Histoire avec un grand H et de l’histoire de l’auteure pour dresser le portrait d’une femme incroyable, infirmière dévouée et humaniste, au service des tribus africaines. En tournant le pages, j’ai eu la sensation d’être projetée en Tanzanie, au cœur des sublimes paysages décrits par l’auteure..

https://anouklibrary.wordpress.com/20...

[️Lucienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this easy read very much. I liked the characters, especially Kate who’s missionary parents untimely death scarred her life and left her with a sense of dislocation and no direction and Annah who’s life intermingled with Kate’s and ultimately brought her back to Africa. The African setting had beautiful imagery and I could almost see in my minds eye the scenes of the hospital and the village and the vastness of the landscapes. A good escape.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of Annah Mason, a missionary nurse sent to Tanzania and her relationship with the Africans and another missionary family, the Carringtons.Learning about life in Tanzania was interesting. The plot held together well, though the end seemed a tad contrived, I nevertheless enjoyed reading this book and would choose another by this author with no hesitation.

[Paky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un libro muy entretenido, muy bien ambientado y grandes personajes. Una buena trama, bien encajada en la historia de África, una historia emocionante, conmovedora, muy humana y creíble, con situaciones y acontecimientos que bien pudieron pasar en realidad. Muchas veces bien parece que son reproducciones de experiencias reales. Muy recomendable.

[Sheryl Maree Akintola · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most fabulous story!!

This book is a must read!! Please, read......I laughed, I cried, I was intrigued - it was truly wonderful. I had tears rolling down my cheeks, as I read the closing pages, as I read through bleary eyes - simply wonderful!

[Kerri Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m really enjoying the African / Australian crossovers of these story lines and fascinated with how the author writes of African culture. It’s weaved throughout the narrative very cleverly informing the reader but in a fictional setting. I would love to read more by this author.

[Myshelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book from Katherine Scholes