The Gift of Rain by Malaysian author Tan Twan Eng is a true gift. This book is about war, love, loyalty, and family. It is about conflicting emotions  and loyalties and a young man's struggle to stay true to those he loves. It has been a long time since I read a book that affected me the way this one did. Though prose, it read like poetry. I don't care for poetry as such, but this book gripped me and held me till the very end. The language was beautiful--fit for the beautiful island of Penang where the story takes place. The human emotions were real and vivid. The struggles were extreme and suspenseful. I absolutely loved The Gift of Rain.