The Gift of Rain

The Gift of Rain is the debut novel of Malaysian author Tan Twan Eng, first published in 2007. Set in Penang, Malaysia, it centers on Philip Hutton, a man of both Chinese and English descent. He has a close friendship with Hayato Endo, a Japanese diplomat. However, as war between the two countries looms, Philip and Endo find themselves torn between their friendship and their loyalty to their respective countries. Although Philip makes the fateful decision to aid the Japanese in order to keep his family safe during the Japanese invasion, the opportunity presents itself to aid the guerrilla force of Malaysians and British resisting the Japanese occupation. Exploring themes of imperialism, identity—particularly among those torn between two cultures—and the symbolism of water, The Gift of Rain was highly acclaimed for its detailed depiction of World War II-era Malaysia and its complex characters. It was long-listed for the Man Booker Prize in 2008.

The Gift of Rain begins as Philip Hutton is an elderly man living out his life in peace and seclusion in his family home of Istana on the island of Penang. However, his quiet life is upended when a Japanese woman named Michiko Murakami shows up on his doorstep one day. She asks him what he knows about a man named Endo-San, whom Philip knew as Hayato Endo. Philip rarely talks about Endo, but when he sees how deeply Michiko wants this information and how much Endo means to her, he agrees to tell the story of the time he and Endo shared together.

A flashback shows that Philip was a lonely child, and that growing up half-Chinese and half-British made him an outcast in both cultures. He felt too Chinese to fit in with his British family, but Chinese customs were foreign to him, as he’d been raised in a British environment. When a Japanese man moved into the house on the island across from Philip’s home, he quickly introduced himself to the man—Endo—and they became fast friends. Philip wanted to learn about Japanese culture, and Endo agreed to take Philip as a student, teaching him aikido and sword-fighting skills.

While Philip’s family heads back to England on vacation, Philip stays behind to watch over the family mansion. During this time, he continues to train with Endo and shows him around the islands. Meanwhile, war rages across Europe, and Philip’s family barely gets out before the war reaches England. Philip begins working for his father’s company, Hutton and Sons, and he becomes more confident in reconciling the two sides of his heritage. With war in Malaysia becoming more of a possibility, Philip’s brother William joins the Navy. Shortly after the family holds a going-away party for him, the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor and then Malaysia. The Japanese invasion of Malaysia is met with little to no opposition in the islands, as most of the British have already fled. Malaysia officially surrenders on February 15, 1942 and comes under Japanese occupation. Endo is able to get Philip a job working for the Japanese. While his family is outraged by this, Philip feels it’s the best way to ensure their safety. Although his family is spared the labor camps, it doesn’t help them survive the war. William is killed in battle, and Philip’s other brother Edward is captured while traveling and shot. Philip’s sister Isabel is killed working for the resistance, while Philip’s father dies protecting his sole surviving son. Seeing this, Philip begins covertly helping the resistance, which has a local branch led by his childhood friend Kon. He is horrified when he learns that Endo used his knowledge of the islands, taught to him by Philip, to aid in the quick conquest of Malaysia.

The Japanese are eventually defeated when the Americans drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the British resume control of Malaysia. Endo was one of many Japanese officials tried for war crimes and sentenced to life in prison. Philip visits his old friend before he is taken away and grants him one last kindness—giving him a death with honor by killing him with the sword Endo gave him long ago. This is the end of Philip’s story to Michiko. Soon after, it’s revealed that she’s dying of radiation poisoning, having been suffering from it since the atomic bombings. As she dies, Philip reflects on all he has been through in his life, feeling relieved to have finally told the story to someone. He finally feels free of the sense of guilt and responsibility he had been carrying since the Second World War.

Tan Twan Eng is a Malaysian novelist and lawyer who has written two acclaimed novels dealing with the Japanese occupation of colonial Malaysia: The Gift of Rain (2007) and The Garden of Evening Mists (2012). She is a frequent guest at literary festivals around the world.