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The History of Rain
Our story begings in 1915. While convalescing in an English army hospital, Rain, a veteran of the Great War now raging across Europe, finds solace in aiding the buildings' groundskeeper. An unlikely apprentice gardener, he buries himself in this work. The bulbs, the tubers, and the soil care not that his face is now deformed forever. I say give your the earth your rage, young man, and she'll give you flowers, the groundskeeper tells him. And so he does.
In the ensuing decadence of the postwar years, Rain finds himself lured into the intricate and lavish world of landscape gardening. In demand to a certain upper-class clientele, he travels the world to create magnificent gardents for clients and, eventually for the pictures during Hollywood's Golden Age. But the nomadic nature of his work is also a way for him to chase his unrequitred love, Lily.
A sprawling story written in stunning, spare language, this anticipated new novel from the master wordsmith behind Big Town and I Still Have a Suitcase in Berlin is a lyrical, magical, and starkly realist meditation on the dissonant worlds that emerge from the conflict, and the lengths we'll go to chase the illusion of love.
In the ensuing decadence of the postwar years, Rain finds himself lured into the intricate and lavish world of landscape gardening. In demand to a certain upper-class clientele, he travels the world to create magnificent gardents for clients and, eventually for the pictures during Hollywood's Golden Age. But the nomadic nature of his work is also a way for him to chase his unrequitred love, Lily.
A sprawling story written in stunning, spare language, this anticipated new novel from the master wordsmith behind Big Town and I Still Have a Suitcase in Berlin is a lyrical, magical, and starkly realist meditation on the dissonant worlds that emerge from the conflict, and the lengths we'll go to chase the illusion of love.
232 pages, Paperback
First published September 14, 2021
5 people are currently reading
245 people want to read
About the author
Stephens Gerard Malone
6 books18 followersEndless Bay (Mercury Press) 1994
Miss Elva (Random House Canada) 2005
I Still Have a Suitcase in Berlin (Random House Canada) 2008
Big Town (Nimbus Publishing/Vagrant Press) 2011
The History of Rain (Nimbus Publishing/Vagrant Press) 2021
Jumbo (Nimbus Publishing/Vagrant Press) 2023
The Unnameable (Nimbus Publishing/Vagrant Press) April 28, 2026
Miss Elva (Random House Canada) 2005
I Still Have a Suitcase in Berlin (Random House Canada) 2008
Big Town (Nimbus Publishing/Vagrant Press) 2011
The History of Rain (Nimbus Publishing/Vagrant Press) 2021
Jumbo (Nimbus Publishing/Vagrant Press) 2023
The Unnameable (Nimbus Publishing/Vagrant Press) April 28, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
August 22, 2021
1915 during that brutal war, a young British soldier finds himself with gruesome injuries requiring multiple surgeries at a hospital in France. While recovering he develops a curiosity about an elderly gardener there and his planting and this leads Rain to a life of creating beautiful gardens. There’s a beautiful girl who leads Rain to a life of following her through the decades at various times in his life. Is it infatuation or genuine love? Either way, an incredibly sad life as he centers himself around her even as she moves on and marries. From France to London to Hollywood, back to France and London, spanning decades from WWI in 1915 to WWII in 1944 through 1961, Rain’s story isn’t easy to read, even though there is beauty in his gardens, and some moments of joy and hope and genuine love. There is also pain and loneliness, and the brutal consequences of deception. It’s a short novel and to say much more about it would give too much away. I’ll just leave it by saying how moving this was and how much I hoped for so much more for Rain. I had not heard of this author until now, but will consider his other novels, as the writing is lovely.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Nimbus Publishing Limited through Edelweiss.
July 29, 2022
A naked young man is found on a World War I battlefield, his face damaged. This is how we meet "Rain" who cannot remember his name, or at least claims not to be able to remember. There is a scandal there as well, but somehow he is embarrassed more by the real story than the rumour that circulates at the hospital.
A young man in World War I (too young in fact), Rain is in a position to provide a history of much of the twentieth century. At times the story is sweeping, at times intimate. There is another war, too, and much emotional turmoil.
A moving, beautiful novel that I greatly enjoyed reading. Gardening, you see, is an expression of optimism and the practice of resilience.
A young man in World War I (too young in fact), Rain is in a position to provide a history of much of the twentieth century. At times the story is sweeping, at times intimate. There is another war, too, and much emotional turmoil.
A moving, beautiful novel that I greatly enjoyed reading. Gardening, you see, is an expression of optimism and the practice of resilience.
March 13, 2022
A really beautifully written ode to gardening and love and wanting. I couldn’t put it down.
November 22, 2021
I boarded a plane in Toronto yesterday and although the plane was headed to Calgary, I was headed into the beautiful world Stephens Gerard Malone has created in his book THE HISTORY OF RAIN.
This book. This heart wrenching, soul stirring, beautifully rendered book had my nerves tingling and my heart captured from the first chapter. Stephens Gerard Malone has crafted a stunning story of heartbreak, betrayal, longing and a quest for love found and lost in the most seemingly fleeting and unexpected places.
I am a "pen in hand" reviewer and take copious notes, but only once during this entire read, was I able to tear myself away from this story long enough to write out one of the many, many beautiful passages which tore at my senses.
"Lill-lee. Lilting, like the first songs of spring birds full-throated in days of plenty, ripe berries and easy worms and warm nights, not a thought that winter might return. Lily. A lily bloom only gave you one day of delight, the old gardener had warned disapprovingly..."
Stephens Gerard Malone has crafted, using our English language, passages that made me feel without touching, hear without needing my ears and understand without a word being spoken aloud to convince me.
Descriptions of people and place are tangible in their eloquence. I vividly pictured each character and I swear I smelled each flower, tree and fertilizer Rain, the story's main character, placed in each of the gardens he created from war torn Europe to the hills of California during the golden days of Hollywood.
There is love and there is loss, but the magnitude of loss I felt in the pages of this book kept me turning pages without a care to my surroundings. With every turn of a page there was more beauty. The beauty of words strung across the garden of pages this author has planted in this reader's heart, making her wish she didn't have to finish the book.
The cover art makes this book an instant pleasure when you reach for it. The choice of the publisher to use deckle edged pages adds to the nostalgic feeling I got for the history that occurs during the telling of this story. The black and white botanical illustrations at the beginning of each chapter are another added delight of the senses as you wander through the pages of this book. Nimbus Publishing and Vagrant Press you have given your reader an exceptionally well done book here.
#readatlantic #readatlanticcanadianauthors #readatlanticcanadianpublishers #read #readallthebooks #reviews #historicalfiction #botanical #garden #nimbuspublishing #bookclub
This book. This heart wrenching, soul stirring, beautifully rendered book had my nerves tingling and my heart captured from the first chapter. Stephens Gerard Malone has crafted a stunning story of heartbreak, betrayal, longing and a quest for love found and lost in the most seemingly fleeting and unexpected places.
I am a "pen in hand" reviewer and take copious notes, but only once during this entire read, was I able to tear myself away from this story long enough to write out one of the many, many beautiful passages which tore at my senses.
"Lill-lee. Lilting, like the first songs of spring birds full-throated in days of plenty, ripe berries and easy worms and warm nights, not a thought that winter might return. Lily. A lily bloom only gave you one day of delight, the old gardener had warned disapprovingly..."
Stephens Gerard Malone has crafted, using our English language, passages that made me feel without touching, hear without needing my ears and understand without a word being spoken aloud to convince me.
Descriptions of people and place are tangible in their eloquence. I vividly pictured each character and I swear I smelled each flower, tree and fertilizer Rain, the story's main character, placed in each of the gardens he created from war torn Europe to the hills of California during the golden days of Hollywood.
There is love and there is loss, but the magnitude of loss I felt in the pages of this book kept me turning pages without a care to my surroundings. With every turn of a page there was more beauty. The beauty of words strung across the garden of pages this author has planted in this reader's heart, making her wish she didn't have to finish the book.
The cover art makes this book an instant pleasure when you reach for it. The choice of the publisher to use deckle edged pages adds to the nostalgic feeling I got for the history that occurs during the telling of this story. The black and white botanical illustrations at the beginning of each chapter are another added delight of the senses as you wander through the pages of this book. Nimbus Publishing and Vagrant Press you have given your reader an exceptionally well done book here.
#readatlantic #readatlanticcanadianauthors #readatlanticcanadianpublishers #read #readallthebooks #reviews #historicalfiction #botanical #garden #nimbuspublishing #bookclub
January 11, 2022
Stephens Gerard Malone’s latest novel, The History of Rain (Nimbus/Vagrant) is a tour de force of historical fiction as he unfolds the story of Rain, the mysterious, wound-deformed World War I veteran. Rain's convalescence in France launches what will become a life-long obsession with creating beauty in gardening and an equally lifelong, never-quite-requited passion for Lily, the British girl-woman he meets there and whose story will intersect with Rain’s over the decades. What decades they were: from the trenches of World War I, to London high society in the flapper twenties turned dirty thirties, through the decadence of between-the-wars Hollywood and beyond. Often achingly sad and heartbreaking but also beautiful and profound. Highly recommended.
February 8, 2022
Go ahead, judge this one by its gorgeous cover. Who knew that the life of a gardener could be this riveting? I'll be seeking out all of Stephens Gerard Malone's books after this one. He takes us from France in WWI to England in the twenties, to Paris in the thirties, to California in Hollywood's golden era... Oh, it's quite a feast. Literary-level writing paired with a galloping plot. Settle yourself down with a blanket and a beverage and savour this one.
September 18, 2024
Beautiful. Heartbreaking.
Book 59 of 2024
Book 59 of 2024
April 16, 2022
Never judge a book by its cover? Ha! Of course I do…and that’s why I took this one home to read. And then there’s the title: The History of Rain. I thought it was going to somehow be a story all about rain, but no, it’s a truly wonderful story about a man named Rain. Okay, so I was hooked by the beautiful cover, and then allowed myself to be led astray by the title – then I started to read.
Why have a never heard of this author before? He’s a fantastic writer and I’m so glad to have found him.
Sad, tragic, interesting story that follows a man disfigured during the Great War, through his life in France, United Kingdom and the U.S. He’s a gardener, a career he fell into whilst re-cooperating from the many surgeries he had to go through. Gardening weaves through the rest of his life as he struggles with unrequited love, betrayal and loneliness. Brilliant read. Especially loved the time in France during the 30s and then Hollywood.
Will look for rest of Malone’s books!
Why have a never heard of this author before? He’s a fantastic writer and I’m so glad to have found him.
Sad, tragic, interesting story that follows a man disfigured during the Great War, through his life in France, United Kingdom and the U.S. He’s a gardener, a career he fell into whilst re-cooperating from the many surgeries he had to go through. Gardening weaves through the rest of his life as he struggles with unrequited love, betrayal and loneliness. Brilliant read. Especially loved the time in France during the 30s and then Hollywood.
Will look for rest of Malone’s books!
September 23, 2021
Thank you for Nimbus Publishing and Vagrant Press for this arc in exchange for a free and honest review!
I really enjoyed reading The History of Rain! I love and really enjoy reading historical fiction and The History of Rain is no exception. The premise, plot and language are all exceptional foundations for an amazing story and Stephens Gerard Malone has written an excellent book that I hope flies into the hands of multiple readers.
I really enjoyed reading The History of Rain! I love and really enjoy reading historical fiction and The History of Rain is no exception. The premise, plot and language are all exceptional foundations for an amazing story and Stephens Gerard Malone has written an excellent book that I hope flies into the hands of multiple readers.
October 25, 2022
The writing is lovely and the author's voice compelling, but I'm afraid this one fell short of the mark for me. I never connected with the characters, and I found the plot rather episodic.
February 12, 2023
I’m of two minds. I am a gardener, and so I delighted in the gardens that run the length and breadth of this novel. The storyline paled in comparison for me.
January 3, 2023
Beautifully written Zelig/Gump-style novel about a faceless man disfigured during WWI who recovers through gardening and crosses paths with characters from 1920s Paris to 1940s Hollywood.
Unfortunately, like Thomas Mann's hero Hans Castorp, he fails to heed the advice of others who warn:
"But mind, the mountain’s magic-mad tonight,
And if you choose a will-o’-the-wisp to light
Your path, take care, ’twill lead you all astray."
Unfortunately, like Thomas Mann's hero Hans Castorp, he fails to heed the advice of others who warn:
"But mind, the mountain’s magic-mad tonight,
And if you choose a will-o’-the-wisp to light
Your path, take care, ’twill lead you all astray."
May 11, 2022
What a beautiful, yet achingly sad book. Molone's prose is moving and descriptive as he writes about the life story of Rain, a man tormented by dual loves and obsessions: gardening and his longing for Lily. The book itself, the exquisite cover art and the ragged pages, just adds to the overall historical fiction experience.
May 25, 2022
Unfortunately the book didn't meet my expectations; I had expected more about garden design and related work. Nevertheless it was an interesting read. If you approach it with the goal of getting a snapshot of different historical periods between 1915 and 1961 and how the characters relate to these periods, then you will find it insightful.
July 1, 2024
Although much of this book is written beautifully, the author substitutes a rich story for copius gardening-based metaphors. This escapist setting could have provided a reprieve from the dramatic personal history of rain; Instead, the reader gets scattered reflections without truly understanding it's protagonist, and must wallow in their absentmindedness with them for 200 or so long pages.
December 3, 2021
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
A wonderful book! To think that a garden can heal the wounds of war, and the love inspired from growing beautiful plants...Sensitive and moving, I recommend this book for any reader.
A wonderful book! To think that a garden can heal the wounds of war, and the love inspired from growing beautiful plants...Sensitive and moving, I recommend this book for any reader.
September 18, 2022
I loved The History of Rain - at times gentle, at times driving, the story of Rain is a fascinating delight and you will remember Rain, the gardens, and the enchantment of this story for a long time.
October 30, 2025
DNF at 50%… I’m sorry I really tried to like this book but I just can’t get into it. I know the story is supposed to be poetic and I only read good reviews about it. I guess it just wasn’t a good match for me.
December 28, 2021
I loved this book. The powerful opening drew me in and then Rain’s sad and sweet journey kept me going. Highly recommend.
July 24, 2022
Beautifully written for garden lovers & historical fiction lovers alike. Characterization was excellent
September 23, 2022
3 5 ☆'s
Read
January 28, 2024Magically written
May 4, 2024
Weird book, had me all over the place and didn't like the story path
January 10, 2022
3 stars
A beautifully written story with an ending I hated. A protagonist who is at times very sympathetic, yet at others incredibly hard to like. Overall, a tragic & obsessive tone. Very bleak.
[What I liked:]
•The writing is absolutely beautiful. That is the best thing about my reading experience of it. Wistful & subtle & pointedly observant. Poignant.
•I love plants, so I also really enjoyed reading about plants & gardening throughout this book! The parts when Rain works in Hollywood on movie sets was pretty interesting, too.
[What I didn’t like as much:]
•Some plot points are a bit hazy. Why was Lily stranded in France in a war zone at age 15? What exactly happened to Rain in his unit (some sort of hazing?) & why was he so ashamed about it? Why did the French gardener speak English?
•Why is Rain trying to do a new garden *every* day? Why not once a week, or once a month? That would be more plausible.
•I hated the ending. I absolutely hated it. Such a sarcastic, throwaway joke of an ending that didn’t fit with the rest of the tone of the story, & kinda ruined it for me. I don’t know, it felt so flippant & meaningless.
•I’m still not sure if I like Rain or not. He has goodness in him, he suffers & sacrifices so much & manages to retain hope, is creative & loves plants, & is so kind to a certain child. Yet he’s also creepy (he looks in his employer’s window when she’s undressing & jerks off, wtf), & is kinda delusional in thinking he can make a certain woman love him after decades of evidence to the contrary. He’s pretty pathetic in that aspect, & I wish he had more character growth; I wish he had learned to live in reality by the end, & to not let people walk all over him, but he never does.
CW: ableism, war, PTSD, minors being exploited for underage sex, human trafficking, infidelity, suicide, accidental death (drowning), racism, voyeurism, substance abuse
[I received an ARC ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for the book!]
A beautifully written story with an ending I hated. A protagonist who is at times very sympathetic, yet at others incredibly hard to like. Overall, a tragic & obsessive tone. Very bleak.
[What I liked:]
•The writing is absolutely beautiful. That is the best thing about my reading experience of it. Wistful & subtle & pointedly observant. Poignant.
•I love plants, so I also really enjoyed reading about plants & gardening throughout this book! The parts when Rain works in Hollywood on movie sets was pretty interesting, too.
[What I didn’t like as much:]
•Some plot points are a bit hazy. Why was Lily stranded in France in a war zone at age 15? What exactly happened to Rain in his unit (some sort of hazing?) & why was he so ashamed about it? Why did the French gardener speak English?
•Why is Rain trying to do a new garden *every* day? Why not once a week, or once a month? That would be more plausible.
•I hated the ending. I absolutely hated it. Such a sarcastic, throwaway joke of an ending that didn’t fit with the rest of the tone of the story, & kinda ruined it for me. I don’t know, it felt so flippant & meaningless.
•I’m still not sure if I like Rain or not. He has goodness in him, he suffers & sacrifices so much & manages to retain hope, is creative & loves plants, & is so kind to a certain child. Yet he’s also creepy (he looks in his employer’s window when she’s undressing & jerks off, wtf), & is kinda delusional in thinking he can make a certain woman love him after decades of evidence to the contrary. He’s pretty pathetic in that aspect, & I wish he had more character growth; I wish he had learned to live in reality by the end, & to not let people walk all over him, but he never does.
CW: ableism, war, PTSD, minors being exploited for underage sex, human trafficking, infidelity, suicide, accidental death (drowning), racism, voyeurism, substance abuse
[I received an ARC ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for the book!]
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews