Jennifer's Reviews > Father of the Rain: A Novel

I read this ":show don't tell" story of growing up with an alcoholic parent for my faculty book club. Lily King's Writers & Lovers was one of my favorite books during the pandemic, but her short story collection fell flat for me, so I wasn't sure if I would like this one or not. Wow! I not only liked, but loved it. Exquisite, painfully real detail is what sets this novel apart from other dysfunctional family dramas. Each character lifts off the page, fully realized. The main character's dawning realization that she has no power to change her father, only herself, is perfectly wrought in a three part character arc that spans decades. A powerful and compulsively readable book.