The Gift of Rain (2007) is a historical novel by Tan Twan Eng. Set in Penang, Malaysia, during World War II, the novel follows Philip Hutton, a Chinese British young man. As he navigates his dual heritage, Philip forms a complex relationship with a Japanese diplomat who becomes both his mentor and betrayer, forcing him to confront questions of loyalty, identity, and survival during the Japanese occupation.

The Gift of Rain was Tan Twan Eng’s debut novel and was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize. His second novel, The Garden of Evening Mists, won the Man Asian Literary Prize and the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction. It was also shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, making Tan the first Malaysian to achieve such honors. His third novel, The House of Doors, was longlisted for the Booker Prize and shortlisted for the 2024 Walter Scott Prize.

This guide uses the 2007 Scribe Publications edition.

Content Warning: The source material and guide feature depictions of sexual harassment, sexual violence, child sexual abuse, death by suicide, substance use, violence, pregnancy termination, illness, and death.

Plot Summary

The Gift of Rain is set in Penang, Malaysia. The novel employs a framing device, set 50 years after the end of World War II. At this time, Philip Hutton is an elderly man living out his life in peace and seclusion in his family home of Istana on the island of Penang. His quiet life is upended when an elderly Japanese woman named Michiko Murakami shows up on his doorstep. She asks him what he knows about a man named Endo, whom Philip knew as Hayato Endo. Philip rarely talks about Endo, but when he sees how much Endo means to her, he agrees to tell her the story of the time he and Endo shared. To do this, he must tell her the story of his life and how he came to be in his current position.

The novel’s other timeline is the linear recollection of Philip’s relationship with Endo. Philip was a lonely child. He is the youngest of four children, though he does not share a mother with his siblings. Their mother died and their father unexpectedly remarried. As a prominent member of the British colonial elite, Philip’s father caused a stir in society by marrying a Chinese woman. Philip’s father Noel deeply loved Philip’s mother, though Philip has very few memories of her as she died when he was a young man. He has long felt that growing up both Chinese and British makes him an outcast in both cultures. He feels too Chinese to fit in with his British family, but Chinese customs are foreign to him, as he has been raised in a British environment.

When a Japanese man leases the small island across from Philip’s home and begins to build a Japanese-style house, Philip takes an interest. At this time, Noel has taken his three eldest children to visit England. Philip, never able to feel truly English, has opted to remain in Penang alone. One evening, Endo appears in the house to ask for a boat to return to his island. He introduces himself to Philip as Endo, and they become fast friends. Philip wants to learn about Japanese culture and Endo agrees to take Philip as a student, teaching him aikido and sword-fighting skills, as well as offering insights into Japanese language and culture.

Philip’s family is wealthy. His great-grandfather founded one of Penang’s foremost trading companies and his father has attempted to carry on the family tradition by introducing his sons to the business. While they are away, Philip is left in charge of the household. He largely ignores the servants while spending most of his time with Endo. The Japanese man is very interested in the geography of Penang, and Philip happily plays the role of tour guide, showing him the many sights.

Meanwhile, war breaks out across Europe. In Penang, many of the local people hear news from China about the Japanese invasion of Northeast China and, in particular, about the terrible violence in Nanking. Philip is so enthralled by Endo’s teachings about Japanese culture that he does not want to believe that the same culture that produced Endo could be responsible for such horrors. Many of the local people gossip about Philip spending time with a Japanese man and question his actions.

Philip is invited to meet his estranged grandfather. His grandfather was so angry about his daughter’s marriage to an Englishman that he severed contact with her. Philip is expecting to meet a cruel, cold man but is surprised to find that his grandfather is pensive and insightful. His grandfather seems interested in repairing the fractured relationship with his grandson and reconciling the pain he caused due to his daughter’s marriage. Philip invites his grandfather to meet the rest of his family.

When they return, the family notes the change that has occurred in Philip. Not only is he more muscular as a result of his martial arts training, he is also more confident and outgoing. His family feels as though the distant, ephemeral Philip has changed to become a true part of the family. Philip begins working for his father’s company, Hutton & Sons, and becomes more confident in reconciling the two sides of his heritage.

Philip’s brother William joins the Navy. Shortly after the family holds a going away party for him, the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor and then Malaysia. The Japanese invasion of Malaysia is met with little to no opposition in the islands, as most of the British have already fled. Anti-Japanese sentiment is rife among the community and Philip struggles to justify his friendship with Endo, yet he does not want to abandon the person who has become such an important presence in his life. At this time, Philip’s friendship with a local boy named Kon becomes more important. Though his father is involved in organized crime, Kon and Philip bond over a shared love of martial arts and Japanese culture. A chance encounter with an Englishman gives them a chance to enroll in the paramilitary insurgency that is being nurtured by the British in the event of a Japanese invasion. While Kon is eager to join, Philip is worried about what would happen to his family.

Malaysia officially surrenders on February 15th, 1942, and comes under Japanese occupation. Much to his family’s horror, Philip tries to protect his family by agreeing to work with the Japanese. The presence of a prominent local figure among the occupying Japanese forces is a propaganda coup for the Japanese, who make sure to broadcast Philip’s role in the new government. While his family is outraged by this, Philip feels it is the best way to protect their business and their lives.

The family business remains largely intact throughout the war, but Philip’s older brother Edward is sent to a labor camp, as is his sister Isabel’s fiancée. Neither of them survives the war. Meanwhile, William is killed in battle, causing his father to harden his attitude toward the Japanese. Philip’s sister Isabel is killed working for the resistance, though Endo is able to ensure that she is killed quickly rather than suffering through torture.

Though Philip is publicly known to be helping the Japanese, he is secretly involved in the resistance. He passes information to Kon through Kon’s father, though this often leads to people being killed by the Japanese in brutal ways. Philio is horrified when he learns that Endo used his knowledge of the islands, taught to him by Philip, to aid in the quick conquest of Malaysia. He feels betrayed by Endo, even though he comes to feel that he and his teacher are locked in a spiritual cycle of endless pain and suffering that must be resolved.

The Japanese are eventually defeated and the British resume control of Malaysia. Endo is one of many Japanese officials tried for war crimes and sentenced to life in prison. Philip visits his old friend before he is taken away and grants him one last kindness—giving him a death with honor by killing him with the sword Endo gave him long ago.

This is the end of Philip’s story to Michiko. Soon after, it is revealed that she is dying of radiation poisoning, having been suffering from it since the atomic bombings in Hiroshima. As she dies, Philip reflects on all he has been through in his life, feeling relieved to have finally told the story to someone. He finally feels free of the sense of guilt and responsibility he has been carrying since the Second World War.