Lily King: Father of the Rain

Thursday, September 16th at 7 pm
LILY KING
authors of
Father of the Rain

Stuart and Chris rarely agree on books, but Father of the Rain is one of their favorite reads in a long time. King's new novel was also chosen as an IndieBound Favorite and an Oprah Magazine Best Summer Read. We're thrilled to have her at the store for a reading.

"Early in Father of the Rain, 11-year-old Daley experiences a moment she'll treasure for decades: 'My father grinning his biggest grin and looking at me like he loves me, truly loves me....' Never mind that he's high on martinis and the thrill of pulling a stunt that humiliates his wife and insults her dinner guests. Lily King's luminous novel centers on a child's blinding hunger for a parent's affection. King makes this well-worn theme seem fresh with her vividly drawn characters—especially Daley's father, Gardiner, a narcissistic alcoholic with an ugly temper and a magnetic charm—and a clear eye for the details of their singularly messed-up relationships. Set in the affluent East Coast seaside town where Gardiner was raised, in a world of Wasp privilege he takes for granted, the novel covers three decades starting in the mid-'70s. Daley's mother leaves Gardiner, but Daley can't give up hoping he'll change. 'You want the daddy you never got,' her boyfriend says. Obvious? Maybe to us. The uplifting ending comes as Daley finally sees for herself what's been clear all along." - O, The Oprah Magazine

“Lily King’s Father of the Rain is one of the most richly satisfying and haunting novels I've read in a long time.” - Richard Russo

Lily King is the author of two previous novels, The Pleasing Hour and The English Teacher. The Pleasing Hour was a New York Times Notable Book, an alternate for the PEN/Hemingway Award, and winner of the Barnes & Noble Discover Award. The English Teacher was a Publishers Weekly Top Ten Book of the Year, a Chicago Tribune Best Book of the Year, and winner of the Maine Fiction Award. King is also the recipient of a Whiting Award. She lives in Maine with her husband and children.