Fifty Ways to Describe the Rain: A Novel About Love and Loss

SFO4731: I loved this book. It's beautifully written, and the characters are multidimensional. You root for the protagonist the whole way, and are heart broken, inspired, and happy for her at varying times. She's a beautiful human, but not a perfect one. Lemmie artfully describes each scene, but (unlike most) provides just enough to picture the scene without boring you with too much detail. I will be reading her next books; she's an artist.

United States on Nov 27, 2023

Kindle Customer: This was truly an epic novel. The many plot twists kept you turning pages. The protagonist pulled you into the depth of her psyche to get you through her many life changes. I shall always remember this narrative.
I highly recommend this epic.

Goldie

United States on Nov 21, 2023

doksop: Couldn’t put this down! I found myself with tears in my eyes at times, as this book wraps you in and you feel the pain of the characters.

United States on Nov 20, 2023

Faye Peters: This was captivating from start to finish with the twists and turns. I kept wanting more for Nori and a happy ending, however that is not real life and we often are forced to make difficult decisions and their long-term impact whether we personally benefit or not. It may be for the good of others in our universe.

United States on Nov 12, 2023

ivbell: I had high hopes. The story of a "bastard" child in a Japanese family of royal line could have been good. I felt like the arrival of her brother was good. There needed to be some impetus for change. That part - at least early on - went much how I expected. I was not surprised by what happened to him - it just took a long time to get there. The Yakuza are a ruthless gang - that they weren't in the story seemed odd. They were only used when it felt convenient.

I thought the white cousins story line was unnecessary and took away from the story that could have been. The wandering around Europe part? There was no detail at all. Seemed like a good time to search for her mother. Instead we're back with these white folk who partly come to her rescue and partly cause her grief.

There is little to nothing about the many changes in Japan during this time - some slight mentions. So there is no historical content to speak of.

I thought the ending wasn't bad - it made sense and the twist was something to expect. Oh the story I could see with her return to Kyoto - because a good story either goes from point a to point b (where point be is the destination) or around in a...

United States on Oct 27, 2023

Barb Leisle: Overall i enjoyed this book. It kept me engaged enough to read to the end but i found it quite slow moving.

Canada on Jul 07, 2022

Amazon Customer: I liked the beginning of the book but the relationship between the siblings just felt odd. I didn't find the characters very well developed.

Canada on Feb 10, 2022

Dafydd bach: An extraordinary story of the life of a mixed race child born into Royalty in Japan. Perceived as the families shame she is imprisonments in an attic , beaten and humiliated. She is rescued by a half brother, who like her was abandoned by their mother who had tried to escape the binding family ties. It is a story of triumph of the spirit against overwhelming odds.
The book is hard to put down and one is left wanting more at the end.

Canada on Jun 09, 2021

Kindle Customer: I loved this book. Spoiler alert! I wish we could of seen Noriko getting older, not just her childhood and until she was 26. I believe the readers would of like to see how she became after. She was only 26 and the book ended.

Canada on Sep 16, 2020

Stephanie W: Fifty Words for Rain is a strong debut novel, telling the story of Nori, a young biracial girl in post-WWII Japan, born to a Japanese aristocratic mother and her lover, an African-American soldier. Nori is abandoned by her mother and sent to live with her Japanese grandmother who cannot abide a granddaughter who is illegitimate and part black, and neither can the traditional rules-bound Japanese society in which they live. Nori’s life is difficult and bleak as she is hidden away by her grandmother in the attic, treated harshly and forced to take chemical baths to lighten her skin. Nori’s life changes with the arrival of her Japanese half-brother, Akira, who tries to help her build a life within the confines of the regimented, discriminatory and anti-American post-WWII Japanese society.

The plot is generally well-paced, although the middle part does drag a little, the writing is excellent, and the characters are fascinating. Themes of self-acceptance, the challenges of being a woman in a traditionally patriarchal society, resilience and strength are woven throughout the novel. I could not believe that this is the author’s first novel. Very well-done and well-deserving...

Canada on Sep 07, 2020