History of the Rain (Williams)

Book Reviews
[A] unique voice and a droll, comic tone that takes a surprising, serious turn.... The energy, tone, and premise of the book work well; the decision to view Ruthie’s experiences through the lens of literature pays off.... Williams makes so many good stylistic and storytelling choices that his latest is well worth the read.
Publishers Weekly


History of the Rain is charming, wise and beautiful. It is a love letter to Ireland in all its contradictions, to literature and poetry and family. It acknowledges that faith itself is a paradox, both impossible and necessary. And faith carries this novel—faith that stories can save us, that love endures, that acceptance is within reach, and finally, that it is possible to get to the other side of grief.
Shelf Awareness


(Starred review.) Destined to be a classic, [History of the Rain] isn't just the elegy Ruthie offers to the departed but also a love letter to reading and its life-giving powers. [Ruthie's] voice and narrative remain utterly unique even as she invites comparisons to Jim Hawkins, Ishmael, and hosts of legendary literary narrators
Library Journal


(Starred review.) You can smell the peat burning and feel the ever-present mist in acclaimed Irish novelist Williams’ luscious paean to all who lose themselves in books. Williams captures the awe and all of Ireland—its myths and mysteries, miseries and magic—through the pitch-perfect voice of a saucily defiant young woman who has witnessed too much tragedy but who clings devotedly to those she’s lost.
Booklist


A rambling, soft-hearted Irish family saga stuffed with eccentricity, literature, anecdotes, mythology, humor and heartbreak.... [A] long, sentimental, affectionate poem to Irishness generally...and one quirky family in particular that insists on being read at its own erratic pace.
Kirkus Reviews