Let me start by saying I don’t think my heart has ever hurt more than by reading this book. I don’t really know if I have actually processed all that I have read these past few days. I’ve been in a constant state of saying Oh My God, pausing, running my hands through my hair and having to just take deep breathes between pages. I sit here paused over the keyboard wondering where do I even begin with this. Now don’t let this steer you away from the book as it was beautifully written but this is your warning that this is not a happy topic book. This hits on some of the toughest topics imaginable and they all happen within 400+ pages. It’s an incredible book that pulls on your heartstrings the entire time.
How to begin to describe a book that makes you feel all the different emotions across the board. Fifty Words for Rain captivates you from the moment you start reading. The story follows a young girl in Kyoto, Japan named Noriko “Nori” Kamiza. The story begins with her around the age of 10 and you see her life transition through her eyes along with the people who come into her life. You see Nori get beaten down again and again but slowly starts to overcome all the trauma and negativity that has held her down all her life. Never have I wanted to give a book character a hug more than Nori.
In a world where all Nori craves is to be loved and wanted, she never fully gets there in life. There is always something knocking her down a few (hundred) pegs. Just when you think something might start looking up for her, some traumatic event occurs that leaves you with a lack of words. I don’t want to go into everything this poor girl goes through as it helps build the book and makes your heart ache just a little bit more, so just think of it as the unimaginable. You watch Nori constantly get pushed down but in some amazing turn of events she starts beating the odds against her. And truly shows you what it means to break free and rise from the ashes.
They say there’s fifty words for rain. One for each and every kind you can imagine.
Noriko Kamiza
Though I found myself wanting to cry multiple times while reading this book, it was a book I feel like you almost have to read sometime in your life. A hard to put down book which is the best kind of book. A great fiction book written so well that you find yourself wondering if it might actually be based on a true story. So if you feel up for the emotional rollercoaster that Fifty Words For Rain will drag you through, I highly suggest picking up a copy.
Until Next Time, The Library Abroad
Picture Credit: ‘Fifty Words for Rain’ is our ‘GMA’ Book Club pick for September: Read an excerpt – ABC News (go.com)
The Library Abroad 
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