The rain before it falls by Jonathan Coe
Rosamund lies dying in her remote Shropshire home. But before she does so, she has one last task: to put on tape not just her own story but the story of the young blind girl, her cousin’s granddaughter, who turned up mysteriously at her party all those years ago.
She tells the tale through the device of describing a series of photographs. This structural device works pretty well although I must admit at times I thought it felt just too contrived. Nevertheless, there is something about Coe’s writing which is just so powerful that it is impossible not to be drawn in and taken along for the ride. Not his best but still worth a go.
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