E is for Eng, Tan Twan

Since I have abandoned my research into books I will read on this journey, I am spending more time looking at titles. I'm sure I've missed some great books because the titles just didn't grab me. My "E" book wasn't a shirt grabbing title, but rather one that whispered loudly to me. I had never heard of Tan Twan Eng, but I am so glad I've now read his wonderful novel "The Gift of Rain."

Now, I'm not one to just gush over a book, but I may have to hold myself back to keep from doing that with this novel. Eng writes in a style that is both beautiful and deeply soothing. His music is lyrical and as wonderful as a soothing rain. What is most amazing is that he somehow keeps the lyrical, almost meditative style to his writing while writing about the horrors of war. The reader still sees the ugliness that is war, but at the same time somehow finds beauty and enduring friendship.

The hero of our novel is a young man who has lived his life as somewhat of an outcast in a highly respected family. He doesn't feel that he fits in anywhere. In his small Malaysian island, he is not Malay, not English like his father nor Chinese like his deceased mother. He is a young man adrift until the words "I would like to borrow a boat from you" change his life. Philip Hutton is taken under the wing and into the training of Japanese aikido master Hayato Endo. Endo-san teaches young Philip about life and about his belief that the two had met and been friends in many lives before. Philip learns to fight and think and survive under the tutelage of Endo-san. He shares his beloved island of Penang with the Japanese man and learns that there is often a price to be paid for friendship.

When war breaks out on the peaceful island, Philip must make choices. His choices could cost him his family or his friendship or his life. Right and wrong are not black and white choices in Philip's life. His journey through the war is brutal, his sensei is not the man he believe he was and his family ties are stretched to the breaking point. If Philip makes it through the war, he wonders if he'll be remembered as a hero or a traitor.

"The Gift of Rain" is one of the most beautifully written books I've ever been honored to read. Tan Twan Eng takes us on what feels like a very personal journey in a land he knows and loves. It's no wonder this book was nominated for the Man Booker Prize. Read "The Gift of Rain" if you want to step inside the other side of World War II. Read it for the beautiful, moving prose. Read it for the sometimes heartbreaking reality of life in that time. Read it to understand the true depths of love and friendship. Enjoy "The Gift of Rain" for the true literary gift it is.