THE RAIN WATCHER

Tatiana de Rosnay (Thorndike Press)

Franco-British author de Rosnay, best known for the smash-hit novel Sarah’s Key, is feted across the Channel for her readable melodramas, but has largely flown under the radar in the UK. In The Rain Watcher, a Paris in the grip of a natural disaster is the backdrop for a strained family reunion. Stranded in a city where it won’t stop raining, members of the Malegarde family are forced to confront secrets long hidden, which float to the surface with the rising tide of the Seine. While de Rosnay’s clean prose makes for an effortless read, readers may feel cheated by the abrupt ending, which leaves a little too much to the imagination. That aside, this is a compelling study of the complexities of family life and, ultimately, love.

words Alice Hughes 

Price: £12.99 Info: www.gale.com