After the Rain

'A stirring, magical, and emotional novel about family, belonging, marriage, race, and culture ... The best novels are never long enough, and you won't want After the Rain to end' The Australian

Malti Fortune is uneasy. She has turned away from her birthplace of Fiji to make a new life in Melbourne. But all that she thought was certain is now in danger of being swept away. Her husband, Benjamin, a linguist, is a conundrum. He has changed. Or has she? The stories and superstitions of her childhood are telling her something she knows but doesn't want to hear - about being a trespasser, about not belonging.

In the years to come, Malti and Benjamin's daughters are also to learn some hard truths. For Ellery, the hands-on father of her memories vanishes for months on end and the remembered fragments of good times aren't enough to sustain her anymore. Verona, on the verge of adulthood, can't imagine a world without her beloved Dad. He is her rock and hero. But Malti and Ellery both know that you can't depend on Benjamin.

What makes a family? What does home look like? All three women are seeking answers. Each is haunted by her own ghosts. And by Benjamin. To find what they are looking for, they need to be honest with themselves and make peace with their own unreliable memories.

After the Rain is a moving, exquisitely observed novel about marriage and family, dislocation, culture and belonging, from an exciting new voice in Australian literature.

'A beautifully realised exploration of family, identity and dislocation. Smith beautifully captures complicated feelings around building a home in a new country, choosing your own path in life and realising your parents are just people, too' Books and Publishing

'A thunderous debut full of life, love and legends. A truly sensational read!' WINNIE DUNN

'Aisling Smith's debut novel ... amply demonstrates her ability to write well and create complex and likeable characters. This is a novel about marriage, family dynamics and the attempt to live between two cultures and lands. I highly recommend it' Australian Book Review

'Complex and textured ... An intricate, subtly shaded exploration of the role disillusionment plays in shaping families - whether in love, between cultures, or through realising your parents are flawed human beings' WA Today