The Rain Ascends

by Joy Kogawa

In Joy Kogawa's masterful third novel, a middle-aged woman discovers that her father, a respected Anglican priest, has long been a sexual abuser of boys. Originally published to critical acclaim in 1995, The Rain Ascends has been revisited by the author, with substantive additions to the end of the narrative that bring to fruition the heroine's struggle for forgiveness and redemption. As a middle-aged mother, Millicent is confronted with the secrets of her father's past as she recalls certain events in her childhood-a childhood that, on the surface, was a blissful one. Disbelief turns to confusion as she faces up to the sins of her father and wrestles with a legacy of lies, silence and her own embattled conscience. In The Rain Ascends, Joy Kogawa beautifully sifts the truth from the past and the sinner from the perceived saint. The result is a sensitive, poetic, yet searing depiction of the wounds left by abuse and the redemption brought by truth.

Genres: Fiction, Canada

217 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Joy Kogawa was born in Vancouver in 1935 to Japanese-Canadian parents. During WWII, Joy and her family were forced to move to Slocan, British Columbia, an injustice Kogawa addresses in her 1981 novel, Obasan. Kogawa has worked to educate Canadians about the history of Japanese Canadians and she was active in the fight for official governmental redress.

Kogawa studied at the University of Alberta and the University of Saskatchewan. Her most recent poetic publication is A Garden of Anchors. The long poem, A Song of Lilith, published in 2000 with art by Lilian Broca, retells the story of Lilith, the mythical first partner to Adam.

In 1986, Kogawa was made a Member of the Order of Canada; in 2006, she was made a Member of the Order of British Columbia. In 2010, the Japanese government honored Kogawa with the Order of the Rising Sun "for her contribution to the understanding and preservation of Japanese Canadian history.

Reviews

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Now I’m just sad

[Emily Onizuka · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll be honest, I was a bit hesitant about picking up this book. It's obviously a very touchy subject, particularly for me, and the fact that it was being told through the perspective of someone who has so many reasons to protect the perpetrator is what made me almost put it back down. But what made me pick it up in the first place was that Joy Kogawa is one of my favourite writers, and I realized not wanting to risk hearing someone I admire possibly defend or excuse something so terrible is similar to what the book was about. So I made myself read it, and I'm glad to say she didn't let me down.

tw pedophilia, tw child sexual assault

There was no victim blaming at all. There were points when a character would argue that pedophilia is in any way justifiable or not a big deal, it was obvious that this was a desperate grasping at straws and would be shut down or made clear in some way that this was a ridiculous claim. I think bringing up these things was important because there are people who say it, and it was crucial to address and shut down those arguments.

We did hear this story through the perspective of someone who is torn between wanting mercy for her father and justice for the victims. It's not a position I myself have ever been in (I myself am probably more like her sister-in-law pushing for the truth) but I thought it was an interesting take. A lot of people have trouble learning about rape culture and sexual assaults of any kind because it requires one to acknowledge that perpetrators can be someone you're close to or admire, so to have someone in that position face it and ultimately do the right thing is a big step for the overall discussion. One of the other things I was nervous about reading were her feeling of forgiveness and mercy. I liked how Kogawa managed to portray her feelings around this but still make clear that justice for the victims comes first and foremost. Whenever she does get too caught up in the idea that her father is a tortured soul who just needs help, everything is put back into perspective with a reminder of some kind that when she or her father start thinking that, they aren't thinking of the victims. It was clear that even if he has demons in his past explaining why he would want to do these things, his still made the choice to harm and is still responsible for his actions.

Overall, I think Kogawa handled the subject matter very well. She addressed many problems in how one deals with learning this about someone, and managed to portray all the conflicting feelings involved while still doing the just thing. I like how she managed to not only go at the issue from a point of logical debate, but also an empathetic place. The character does what she does not only out of logically knowing what's right, but also out of her empathy for the victims. That doesn't cancel out her empathy for her father, but makes her face the truth of what he's done and recognize the harm blind devotion can cause.

[Wendell Hennan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author's father, a beloved Anglican priest abused 300 young boys during his lifetime, after being sexually abused himself by a neighbour at a young age. Her brother and his wife chose to ignore her father but she was unable to and grappled with the situation throughout her life. Upon discovering that her own son was among the abused, although he seemed largely unperturbed, she was compelled to push him for answers. She ultimately went to the Bishop although her father was in his dying days at that stage.

Often beautifully written, describing the emotions and thoughts, but at times written in an abstract manner. Equally at fault was the church who chose to sweep it under the carpet when a previous Bishop learned of the abuse, and sent him on a retreat for a month.

It was a necessary rendering for the author and a necessary read for each of us, to better comprehend these events that happen all to frequently.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the writing, much better than Obasan. That said, the subject matter turned my stomach, I constantly put the book down and walked away for DAYS to get my head around a piece of information. I didn't really connect with or sympathize with the protagonist, found myself wondering if the child of a child abuser would be damaged even if they weren't directly abused? Was that the implication here?

[michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Difficult to get into initially but after about the first third of the novel it was very enjoyable although very tough subject matter to digest emotionally.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

it turns ur stomach inside out .. i guess

[Richard Janzen]

A story about guilt, justice, abuse, denial, and judgement. A popular minister has a horrible history of abusing small boys throughout his life. A daughter tries to hide from, and eventual deal with, this complex man/situation. I recently heard Kogawa speak at a conference related to human rights abuses during the Asian-Pacific War...more themes of guilt, justice (lack), abuse, denial, and judgement. Kogawa is an inspiration to me.

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a harrowing tale of sexual abuse that destroys a religious family, it's effective because of the gentle & pastoral manner in which the horror is laid out. That said, there are moments when the self-recrimination of the daughter of the abuser verges on being too overwrought, combined with too much biblical dream-state mental meandering for my taste. In spite of these issues, it manages to be a powerful tale without the skin-crawling vibe of similar novels, such as "The Bishop's Man".

[CynthiaA · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing was haunting and beautiful, but the story was desperately difficult to get through, due to the subject matter. I empathized with Millicent but I related more to Eleanor, and therefore found Millicent's behaviour not only difficult to understand but most times, infuriating. Still, Kogawa writes poetically. I loved the metaphor of the lion-king.

[Kaleena Carriere · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really had trouble getting into this book. I'm not sure if it was the style it was written in, the subject matter or the religious aspects that bothered me. Overall not my cup of tea. I had picked up the book originally from a thrift store because I remember reading obasan by the author in high school and I enjoyed it.

[Eaton Hamilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haunting, elegiac, this novel is a poetic exploration about loving a pedophiliac father.

I admired Kogawa's "Obasan" tremendously, but I was stunned by her accomplishment in "The Rain Ascends."

It is one of my most cherished books.

[Shane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written - I prefered this book to the much touted Obasan. Generational guilt and coming to terms with it seems to be Kogawa's recurrent theme.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too poetical. But Interesting

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a book written in 1995 with subject matter so relevant to our world today. Beautifully written and poetic somehow even with its difficult subject matter. It deals with a child turned adult's perspective and thought process of having a pedophile priest for a father. The author gets so deep inside her main character's mind that every page is so important, so moving, so thought provoking, so disturbing that you can't help but ponder the words written long after you turn the last page. The question asked over and over is "How can someone be so good and so evil at the same time?" This book is hard to find and I accidentally came across it at a rare book shop. It should be put back into print due to its relevance to the current situation of the Catholic Church.

[Maria Stevenson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots to meditate on here, regarding spirituality, morality, hypocrisy. Kogawa is a poet so a lot of her writing is pleasurable for that aspect, the way poetry can show and not just tell. Or FEEL and not just tell (is there a word for making people feel? Emote? Evoke?)
I did wonder though, why main character/protagonist Millicent's brother Charlie and sister-in-law Eleanor, seemed to blame Millicent both for NOT saying enough to "out" the father as an abuser of boys, whilst simultaneously blaming her FOR (eventually) helping to do just that.
I enjoyed the hopeful message of this story, that whatever your spiritual leanings, there is beauty in forgiveness, in friendship, in the goodness in this world. And how these qualities of love are connected to the spiritual world.

[Ragavi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book took me awhile to finish. Almost a year but it wasn’t because the book was bad… It’s a heavy topic. It’s written in a way where you can’t help but empathize with the main character. You can’t help but feel bad for her, but you also can’t help but fighting the urge to throw the book across the room.

Overall do I recommend this book: yes, but not to everyone. Read the synopsis, and the trigger warnings. But if you’re thinking about reading it, prepare yourself a little.

[Selena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although the prose is beautiful and Kogawa definitely tugs at the heart strings, the strong religious undertones are distracting and the ending is not satisfying to say the least, I really feel like the closure isn't there. I recommend it if you're into the Bible.

[Marni · Rating 3 out of 5]

The very uncomfortable subject of pedophilia is the base of this novel. This time, it's written from the voice of the pedophile's daughter and her painful efforts at believing it and getting him to talk about it in his old age. Kogawa is a wonderful writer.

[Maria do Socorro Baptista · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amo os livros de Joy Kogawa, simples assim.

[Ben Frost · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a light-hearted read…