Rain Can Never Know

by Michael Afenfia

Rain Tamuno is a brilliant young employee in Edozie Express, the largest construction company in the Niger Delta. Befriended by Chief Rowland Edozie, owner of the company, she experiences a meteoric rise in her career.As her professional life flourishes, her personal life descends into turmoil. Forced to confront a traumatic episode from her past, Rain cannot come to terms with the fact that her mother chose her assailant over her. As she struggles to mend their fractured relationship, her relationship with David, her boyfriend, is threatened by her best friend, Annabel.When sudden death occurs amid Chief Rowland Edozie’s quest for a diabolical solution to a life-threatening problem, Rain’s life is put at risk. As her world begins to crumble, she grapples with coming to terms with who her friends and foes are.Rain Can Never Know is an intriguing story of love, lust, secrets and betrayal. It is about family, friends and faith.Michael creates a masterful and powerful web of suspense, deceit, love and betrayal in this book. Every page reveals twists and turns that keep you guessing. This book would keep you on edge till the end.Eriye Onagoruwa, author of Dear AlaereAfenfia captures the messiness of life, layered with mystery and betrayal. At times humorous, at others harrowing. Rain Can Never Know explores the lengths people are willing to go to get what they want.Taidgh Lynch, Author of First Lift Here

Kindle Edition

Published December 1, 2021

Reviews

[Anna Mena Obie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story which is set in Yenogua narratee the life of a young lady, Rain Tamuno who despite a traumatic childhood experience beats all odds and becomes a successful woman. Now as a grown woman, she is faced with new challenges as the truth of her past and present  unfolds. Will Rain make the right choices??

My thoughts on this book has no structure but for the sake of my audience I shall try my best. I must warn you, if the theme of rape, cultism and rituals are triggers for you . Kindly know that this book is heavily themed on theme.

This was an easy read because I honestly wanted to know badly what the verdict would be and to my surprise I didn't see the ending coming which is a good thing( although my spirit doesn't accept it but we can't always get what we want at the end). From just reading this book, I feel like I have visited Yenogua (one point to the author for that). On the topic of rape, the Tamuno family signifies what happens when you silence a rape victim (you are encouraging the rapist to have more victims) DO NOT BE A RAPIST SYMPATHISER!!!!! Mrs and Mr signify how gullible Africans can actually be when it comes to matters of the church or traditional worshippers, it is easy to syphon money from someone desperately in need of  spiritual guidance (tuweh)

Okay there is one thing I didn't quite enjoy. For starters, I cringed at some scenes because it felt too westernised for me (it might be a me problem tho) . I dont know if this was also a problem or  not but it felt like a typical African Magic Epic movie ( which we complain about but still somehow find entertaining ) which means I still enjoyed the book sha.

I definitely recommend this for lovers of good  Nolloywood movies (God knows my mum is going to finish this in a day) . I would also recommend this for people that  love messy characters (believe me I can't count how many times I wanted to beat up some of them)

[Uchenna (favourite_igbo_boy) · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s been like hours since I finished reading this book, but I still keep flashing back to the story. Like, I felt like I went on a trip that was wide, shocking and captivating but I had to return to my world as soon I was done even though I wanted to just sit down and process everything before leaving.

If you haven’t read any works by Michael, there is a way he writes authentic stories that captivate the picture/message he wants to pass across, either from the characters or the storyline.

This book explores the state of Bayelsa, highlighting human psychology in several aspects, the twist and enigma of life and also sensitive topics like sexual assault and the disregard for women’s rights and safety in society.
Sensitivity highlights how the issue of victim-blaming behaviour, does marginalize the survivor(victims), making it harder to come forth and report sexual assault, which also, in turn, enables the perpetrator not to take full accountability for his/her actions.

I must say, despite this being an attention gripping novel for me, which I only had to put down when the characters became too intense, it wasn’t a light read at all. A lot was happening, it was heavy to some level and a lot is to be said when discussing this book.

The characters were different shades of messiness, and I mostly disliked them.


Reading Rain Can Never Know felt like I was passing by a Nollywood movie being shown, and felt compelled to just sit down and watch till the end because I just wanted to know how everything played out.


I’d recommend this book to lovers of Nollywood and books with vast themes.

[Bukola Akinyemi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set mainly in Yenagoa, Bayelsa state in Nigeria. This story follows a lady named Rain who after a traumatic experience, leaves home to live with relatives and make a better life for herself.

Rain has a great job and loving boyfriend until things start going wrong. This is a story of betrayal, love, lust, family and business.

The CEO of Edozie Express where Rain works has an underlying fear that underpins some of the events in the book.

I found it funny how religion and traditional medicine were intertwined.

Afenfia is known for introducing unusual names in his books and this one is not an exception. For readers of Mechanics of Yenagoa and Don’t Die on Wednesday, you will notice a return of a notorious reverend.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book with all its twists and turns. It was like a Nollywood movie. My favourite part was the poem at the start. I kept going back to read it

[Amaka Azie]

It’s obvious Michael Afenfia can write humorous stories! He has a way of crafting very funny scenes!
When I read mechanics of Yenagoa, and Leave my bones in Saskatoon, I fell in love with this author’s writing.

In Rain Can never Know, there are several funny scenes that hit the mark for me and kept me interested in the story.

However, I’m disappointed in the way serious topics like rape and child sexual abuse was handled.
Flippantly and amateurish.

I would have preferred if this story remained lighthearted and funny.

If an author introduces rape, he or she has a duty to deal with the sensitive issue seriously and not gloss over it.

Rain’s step father SA her and throughout the story, it felt so flippant… not emotionally engaging.

She ends up with a man who considered raping a child to save his arse?!

No bloody way!

I would have preferred a the lighter and fun plot that the author does so well, than introducing heavy themes done flippantly.

Overall, I enjoyed the story but…

[Kofoworola Emily (Read Till You Drop) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a wonderment to read. There is no other way I can put it. It was like a Nollywood script. All over the place, you're not sure if you like it or not, but it somehow remains entertaining.

So many inconsistencies.

I couldn't believe my eyes when I read chief say "If I survive this, I will never let Rain go", but he had no problems with killing her to save himself. Bffr please 🙄

I can't believe they got married and I was seeing things like "they found love and happiness". Again, bffr! 😭

Jesus!

[Turning Pages · Rating 4 out of 5]

Michael Afenfia’s Rain Can Never Know is a high-octane thriller that weaves corporate greed, dark traditions, and deep-seated family trauma into a single, chaotic narrative. The story follows Rain, an overqualified "errand girl" whose high-paying job becomes the center of a dangerous web involving a boss desperate to dodge a family curse, a cheating boyfriend with a cultist past, and a "best friend" with hidden motives.

The book is a relentless page-turner that captures the "small world" complexity of Nigerian social and corporate circles. While the plot leans heavily into shocking twists ranging from ritual sacrifices to long-buried family secrets, it remains grounded in the frustrating reality of how trauma is often silenced to protect social standing. The title serves as a haunting reminder that while the reader sees every betrayal, the protagonist remains dangerously in the dark.

[Damola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in Yenogoa in south-south Nigeria, the story follows Rain, a young lady who is trying to prove herself at her new job but her boss’s obsession with a religious prophecy threatens everything. At same time, she is forced to confront her traumatic past with her estranged family while her boyfriend begins to act up. Ultimately everything gets messy, twist and turns… You wouldn’t want to put it down until you find out what happened.

The story was narrated so well, it plays out vividly like you are watching a movie. The character formation was excellent, Rain was such a well balanced and intriguing character.

In typical Afenfia style, it’s a fast-paced thriller-drama with suspense, chaos and good humor. It’s clearly written, easy to read, funny and just flat out entertaining.

[Agnes Kay-E · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rain has gotten her dream job. Her personal life has gone into turmoil while she is forced to confront a traumatic past. Chief Roland Edozie, her boss, has a keen interest in her and she welcomes it.
But things aren’t always what the seem.

This is an unusual somewhat coming of age story about Rain’s self-discovery and healing. As with the author’s works the tapering of hard topics with humour. It explores friendships and family decisions in precarious situations. It also questions the sufficiency of a mother’s love and sacredness of relationships.
Well written but quite fast paced and woven around a lot of themes.

[Adaeze Chamberlain · Rating 2 out of 5]

I created account just to rate this book. I started my hard book collection with this because, I read Mechanics of Yenogoa and enjoyed it. Silly me thinking his other book will impress me hahah!! His writing style is so boring, it’s like a js1 child wrote this.

“Rain got up, went to pray, ate her food, then headed to work” sis who wants to read something like this, nothing page turning about this book, nothing gripping about this waste of money. I’m so disappointed at this excuse of fiction. How can an author be this boring???

I don’t recommend this at all!!

[Serene Thamm · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is Unforgettable...here is why it's a blend of suspense, drama, and raw emotion. Michael Afenfia weaves a gripping story of love, betrayal, and secrets that unravel with every page. The characters feel real, the twists are intense, and the themes are bold yet sensitively handled. A powerful contemporary thriller that lingers long after the last chapter.
10 across boards
highly recommended!

[Amanda | Avidbookish · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently read this book. Oh, so amazingly written .
It had me glued.

Summary
It is about a young lady who was sexually molested by her father (turns out it was her step, Father, thankfully) .
She found love in a boy who just wasn't worth it at the end. Such a distasteful heartbreak, and however got entrapped with her boss and office politics.

You should read it ..

[Oyeleke Champion · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really love Michael Afenfia's writing.
Rain can never know is quite an intriguing story, and it was an easy read, too. My issues with it were that in a few places, I got lost in the plot. Some parts of the story felt rushed, and it didn't come out well, but aside from that, I loved the storyline and how captivating the characters were.

[Angelfortune Ogbeta · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a fast paced read for me but it felt like watching those old Nollywood novels.

It was just weird at the end and I was like “yo, so that’s it?”

Intriguing title but the book felt like a waste of time.

[Chosen Caleb · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I was reading it, it felt like the average Nollywood script
I was entertained shockingly cause I wanted to see how it would all end
However, I got disappointed because the plot seemed all over the place; not to mention how rushed some parts were

[Zainab]

My thoughts are still reeling, so many secrets, so many drama and not enough closure, hence the dilemma. It gets props for being realistic. Mentioned so many common issues faced in Nigeria. Glad I could finally get around to it.

[Onome · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. The book is quite fast-paced, has the nollywood outlook and would make a good movie.

[Elise Siaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why did it end so abruptly?

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nollywood stuff !
It was a breezy read .
Enjoyable