Summary

From the award-winning poet and playwright behind Barber Shop Chronicles, The Half-God of Rainfall is an epic story and a lyrical exploration of pride, power and female revenge.

There is something about Demi. When this boy is angry, rain clouds gather. When he cries, rivers burst their banks and the first time he takes a shot on a basketball court, the deities of the land take note.

His mother, Modupe, looks on with a mixture of pride and worry. From close encounters, she knows Gods often act like men: the same fragile egos, the same unpredictable fury and the same sense of entitlement to the bodies of mortals.

She will sacrifice everything to protect her son, but she knows the Gods will one day tire of sports fans, their fickle allegiances and misdirected prayers. When that moment comes, it won’t matter how special he is. Only the women in Demi’s life, the mothers, daughters and Goddesses, will stand between him and a lightning bolt.

Review

One thing that stands out is the style in which the book was written. I was moved and in awe of the rhythm that flowed through the book. Broken into acts, narrowed by book sections within, the book had a structured flow that really heightened the experience of the story.

I can’t quite put it into words but there is something that transcends through this lyrical tale combining ancient gods and contemporary characters that really commands your attention. At first, I thought the hero of my admiration was going to be about the young boy and his journey but it was his mother’s voice who deserved to be heard. For every woman ever wronged, there’s a redemptive trajectory that led to the reclaiming of her crippled soul from being assaulted and the reclaiming of her voice and being.

In such a small book, this shined so bright. His free verse was thought provoking and had a relevant connection to current events. Blending cultures and traditions, the past and present, contemporary mixed with mythological influences, this really gives the reader something to talk about and absorb. This is my first experience with the author but will definitely check out his other work.