the gift of rain is the debut novel of Malaysian author tan tuanang first published in 2007 set in Penning 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 lose 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 in seclusion in his family home of istana on the island of Penang however his quiet life is upended when a Japanese woman named michikomir Kami shows up on his doorstep one day she asks him what he knows about a man named endosan 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 fell 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 manendo and they became Fast Friends Philip wanted to learn about Japanese culture and Endo agreed to take Philip as a student teaching him a keto and sword fighting skills while Philip's family heads back England on vacation Phillip 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 attacked 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 does and help them survive the war William is killed in battle and Philip's other brother Edward is captured while traveling in shot Philip's sister Isabelle is killed working for the resistance while Philip's father dies protecting his old surviving son seeing this Philip begins covertly helping the resistance which is a local branch led by his childhood friend Khan 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 fendo 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 kind as 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 bombing things 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 this sense of guilt and responsibility he had been carrying since the second world war tan tuanang 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 I hope you enjoyed this video leave a like if you did and be sure to subscribe thank you