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33rd out of 42 books
—
3 voters
Rain
by
Leigh K. Cunningham (Goodreads Author)
WINNER 2011 INDIE EXCELLENCE AWARDS (LITERARY FICTION)
SILVER MEDALIST, 2011 INDEPENDENT PUBLISHER BOOK AWARDS (AUSTRALIA/NZ FICTION)
Set in provincial Australia in the early sixties, Rain is a multigenerational family saga that chronicles the lives of three generations of the Wallin sawmilling dynasty. It explores the often difficult but enduring ties between mothers and da...more
SILVER MEDALIST, 2011 INDEPENDENT PUBLISHER BOOK AWARDS (AUSTRALIA/NZ FICTION)
Set in provincial Australia in the early sixties, Rain is a multigenerational family saga that chronicles the lives of three generations of the Wallin sawmilling dynasty. It explores the often difficult but enduring ties between mothers and da...more
Paperback, 316 pages
Published
March 17th 2011
by Vivante Publishing
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Rain, Leigh K. Cunningham's first novel for adult readers, is a page-turning story of three generations in a small-town Australian family during forty turbulent years from 1965 to 2005.
The tale mostly, but not exclusively, revolves around a second-generation mother, Helena, and her third-generation daughter, Carla. Even as they deny they need to, they give their lives to the men and boys who are their fathers, sons, brothers, and lovers—and receive in return enormous grief.
And yet this is no min...more
The tale mostly, but not exclusively, revolves around a second-generation mother, Helena, and her third-generation daughter, Carla. Even as they deny they need to, they give their lives to the men and boys who are their fathers, sons, brothers, and lovers—and receive in return enormous grief.
And yet this is no min...more
Rain is at the top of my list of favourite books of the year. It's the kind of the book that leaves a lasting impression and I've often found myself thinking of the characters while sitting on the train on my way to work.
This book brought out so many emotions in me and for me, that's a sign of a good book. I love books that can make me feel for the characters and be in the moment with them rather than just reading and observing.
I also really enjoyed the Australian setting.
This book is a "must...more
This book brought out so many emotions in me and for me, that's a sign of a good book. I love books that can make me feel for the characters and be in the moment with them rather than just reading and observing.
I also really enjoyed the Australian setting.
This book is a "must...more
I read Rain, Leigh K. Cunningham's first work of fiction for adult readers, knowing it wasn’t a romance novel, even if it dealt with the romantic affairs of several women in an Australian family in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries.
Rain is a clear-eyed account of those affairs, boldly telling us why the women do what they do and why the men they fall in love with mostly fail them.
And yet, even as Helena, her daughter Carla, and the other women in Rain err romantically, Cunningh...more
Rain is a clear-eyed account of those affairs, boldly telling us why the women do what they do and why the men they fall in love with mostly fail them.
And yet, even as Helena, her daughter Carla, and the other women in Rain err romantically, Cunningh...more
First, I looked up "Rain" on Leigh Cunningham's website and saw the wonderful awards--winner of the Literary Fiction category at the 2011 Indie Excellence Awards, and a silver medal at the 2011 Independent Publisher Awards (IPPY) in the Regional Fiction: Australia/New Zealand category. So, I thought it would be a really good choice to buy and read. Turns out I was absolutely, one hundred percent right.
This family saga began to draw me in from the first page, and by the end of the first chapter,...more
This family saga began to draw me in from the first page, and by the end of the first chapter,...more
I'm divided on this one. The story is a downer. More of a downer than any I have ever read. I kept expecting something positive to happen but it didn't. Just when you think it's getting better for the character, they are hit with something even more terrible. I guess life is like that sometimes but why would I want to read about that?
It's often difficult to read because it's written in a very old fashioned English...and Australian English at that. It gets better as we get into the 70's and out o...more
It's often difficult to read because it's written in a very old fashioned English...and Australian English at that. It gets better as we get into the 70's and out o...more
Filled with themes of struggle, loss, and triumph, "Rain" portrays a family through the decades. From the 1960s to the mid-2000s, this journey of one family living in rural Australia is a testament to survival in the face of extremes.
A fire in the mill owned by the Wallin family is only the beginning of what seems like a trail of grief. The theme of rain peppers the pages, too; not just the seasonal rains that bring devastation but the symbolic rain of grief and loss.
But the rains can also remin...more
A fire in the mill owned by the Wallin family is only the beginning of what seems like a trail of grief. The theme of rain peppers the pages, too; not just the seasonal rains that bring devastation but the symbolic rain of grief and loss.
But the rains can also remin...more
2 likes · like · see review
That Rain is set in rural Australia was the main reason I accepted this novel for review from expat author Leigh Cunningham. Sisters Helen and Grace are heiresses to their fathers successful small town sawmill business. While Helen enjoys working with her father, Grace, lively and beautiful, wants more than their country town can offer her and escapes to Sydney to pursue her own success, leaving behind her ambitious boyfriend. Spurned, Michael Baden decides to turn his attention to the plainer H...more
Hoping it's better than some of it's reviews!
Well now that I've finished it I am at a crossroads with my rating. Don't read this if you are feeling depressed! The family portrayed in this novel seems to be the model for the term "dysfunctional".
I like Cunningham's style and thought the structure of the story was excellent and perhaps this is why I'm giving it 3 stars. My only complaint in that respect was that as an Australian who has lived in the US for over 20 years, naming the small town whe...more
Well now that I've finished it I am at a crossroads with my rating. Don't read this if you are feeling depressed! The family portrayed in this novel seems to be the model for the term "dysfunctional".
I like Cunningham's style and thought the structure of the story was excellent and perhaps this is why I'm giving it 3 stars. My only complaint in that respect was that as an Australian who has lived in the US for over 20 years, naming the small town whe...more
I just could not finish this book. I so wanted something good to happen to even one person. But instead it was unremittingly dark.
I totally admire the author's breadth of imagination and extremely readable writing style, but I started to feel depressed by the unending tragedy that visited every single character.
Having read the glowing reviews of other readers - and taking into account the multitude of awards - I'm sure the fault must lie with my incapacity to be constantly depressed
I totally admire the author's breadth of imagination and extremely readable writing style, but I started to feel depressed by the unending tragedy that visited every single character.
Having read the glowing reviews of other readers - and taking into account the multitude of awards - I'm sure the fault must lie with my incapacity to be constantly depressed
Had this book on my iPad for my Australia/NZ trip last year but didn't get around to it. (I always try to have a novel or two set in the locales I visit when I am traveling). Started reading it on my way to Galapagos. I was not initially very impressed with it but the farther I read, the more I am enjoying it. The tale of a family, with all of the ups and downs of life, takes place mostly in the small town of Maine, near Sydney. Complex and very flawed characters abound and seem very real.
This book drew me in early, the complexity of the characters and storylines made for a great read. It was a little too tragic in places and at least one of the storylines remained unfinished. There were quite a few spelling mistakes as well (common place names)so editing required. Overall though, It only took me a few days to read and was well worth it.
Dreadful, depressing, entirely unlikeable characters who behave horribly to one another, and just when it seems like the misery will let up, more misery follows. Couldn't force myself to finish it, and I rarely ever leave a book partially read. Just dreadful.
Maybe I haven't given this enough pages yet, but I am abandoning it for now. The writing style is pretentious, archaic and disjointed. The narrative started out nowhere and kept going in circle, nowhere. It was a big disappointment for my expectations because of all the Indie awards it received. I'll try it again this winter, perhaps.
1 like · like · see review
Just enough interest to keep me reading.....I finished because I was hoping the continual depressive tone of the story would improve, giving you a triumph over adversity ending. I'm not quite sure that's what it was.
I really liked this book, but I have to say that there was very little happiness to be found in this family saga. It seems that every character was doomed to a life of disappointment and hardship. I have to admit that this is the kind of story I like at times but if you don't like having awful things happening all the time pick another book.
Story of an Australian family through a three generations. Fascinating tale of family curses (real and imagined) and the struggle for survival of the soul. Well written, touching and very enjoyable.
I don't think my review is fair because I didn't finish the book...I just couldn't get through it. The story seemed ok although I didn't care for how it jumped around so much. My main issue is her writing. I think that because she is from Australia, I had a hard time following her words and staying interested :(
Loved loved! Downloaded to my kindle in Bali after hating the Hunger Games and Wicked. Got through this in less than a week. Sad characters but I could NOT put it down! Totally riveting!
I must admit I did not like the book. The most I can say the lecture was average, as was the writing style. I appreciate the passion of the author for revealing all the wrongs of the world we happen to live in. But it seems to be highly unlikely that the bad fortune does not spare any member of the family. Nearly every page brings new calamity, more and more dramatic and more and more unreal in its extent but lacking the true meaning and depth. I just got very bored reading Rain. I think when so...more
I read RAIN in practically one sitting. It's not happy reading, but certainly compelling. If you like stories that tear at your heart, then you will love RAIN.
"Rain" is a great book, spanning several generations of what seems to be very bad luck for an Australian family. It is emotional and visceral, a tale of love and loss. The story is told third-person at times, at others through letters and even through journal entries. With a lot of narrative, it carries the reader along at a quick pace to an unexpected ending, more sweet than bitter.
Let's hope that this book is better than the last one. Not that Riversong was bad, but not well-written. And I'm rarely one who criticizes a writing style or quality. Rain, however, has won some awards. Keeping my fingers crossed!
Very interesting story but kind of sad ending.
Started a little slow but great read overall.
Very dark, but hard to put down.
![Michelle [Helen Geek]](http://d.gr-assets.com/users/1350347351p2/5557851.jpg)
Free today on Amazon 03/23/2012.
I guess I couldn't expect much from a Kindle/Amazon free e-book. While the characters were intriguing and I wanted to believe in the story happening around them, it was just unrealistically depressing and continuously hopeless. I am not a hater of sadness by ANY means, this would be the kind of book that I'd feel empowered by... If it hadn't ended with 100 loose ends. Also, the writer really did not allow much connection to the characters, it felt like all of the characters were still strangers...more
Unreadable.
"BRILLIANT STORY PLENTY OF HIGHS AND LOWS KEEPS YOU INTERESTED FROM START TO FINISH.THE STORY GOES THROUGH MANY GENERATIONS AND HOW LIFE TREATS THEM AND HOW THEY COPE. A STORY OF CHOICES AND OUTCOMES IN ONE FAMILY's HISTORY
Alot going on in this book, but I did enjoy it.
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| From the Author | 1 | 7 | Nov 16, 2011 05:07pm |
Leigh K Cunningham is a lawyer with a career as a senior executive for a number of public companies in her home country of Australia. She has master’s degrees in law (Master of International Trade & Investment Law) and commerce (Master of Commerce) as well as an MBA (International Management).
RAIN, Leigh's first title for the adult fiction market (April 2011) was named the winner in the Litera...more
More about Leigh K. Cunningham...
RAIN, Leigh's first title for the adult fiction market (April 2011) was named the winner in the Litera...more
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Nov 05, 2012 03:16pm