To read this comment please visit www.ft.com and search for the title (3rd October 2011 publication date)

I will unashamedly admit that when I began reading The Boy Who Made It Rain, I was utterly flabbergasted. I began reading it early in the morning and I didn't put it down until I had finished it that evening, and though it's only 196 pages long, this is perhaps one of the most compelling novels I've ever read.

The premise of the book is of the relocation of a family from Eastbourne to Glasgow, and of the stigma faced by the son as he tries to settle into the local school. Interestingly, Conaghan initiates the novel in a series of first person interviews with several (seven in fact) characters. This automatically initiates a much stronger relationship with the text because the multiple first-person perspectives allow a great deal of empathy and understanding to develop for each character very rapidly.

Very early on, it becomes apparent that Conaghan is building up to something, his interviews taking on the shape of statements. Each 'statement' is crafted to…

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A tragedy for the times heads this review of The Boy Who Made it Rain in TES Scotland:

".. about issues that beset every generation - misunderstandings between the sexes, between age groups, between people raised in different social environments. It is about the difficulty of holding on to one’s own identity in the face of social pressures and prejudice. And it is about how all these problems are exaggerated by the consumerist culture we live in and the growing divide between rich and poor."

"It’s a tale that will keep them wondering, gasping, thinking, smiling, grimacing, rereading. What more can a reader ask for?"  Read full review of Ellipsis.  There is also an interview with Nikki Dudley here.

"an atmospheric novel with thought-provoking themes" - read the review here

"The pacing is excellent, the characters fragile, flawed and consumed with grief and guilt. I could not recommend this book enough."   Read the review.

"Teacher ditches dream football job to pen book" appeared in The Glaswegian on 21st April 2011.

The Sunday Mail, a Scottish newspaper, reports Brian Conaghan's new book The Boy Who Made it Rain.  The book is set in a Glaswegian secondary school.

She known as Jess blog interviews Brian Conaghan.

She known as Jess blog interviews Tony Bayliss.