While stranded waiting for their ship to be released from quarantine, Dr. and Mrs. Macphail must share lodging with the insufferable Davidsons—self-righteous and over-zealous missionaries who also happen to be the only polite company on the god-forsaken island near Pago-Pago. But, things take a dreadful and unexpected turn when Mr. Davidson takes it upon himself to rescue the soul of their neighbor downstairs from second cabin—the insolent, carousing, and inimitable Miss Sadie Thompson.
Harrowing and triumphant, “Rain” is indispensable reading, a foundational work for the tradition of short story writing, and one of W. Somerset Maugham’s greatest tales.
W. Somerset Maugham was born in Paris in 1874. He trained as a doctor in London, where he started writing his first novels. In 1926 he bought a house in Cap Ferrat, France, which was to become a meeting place… More about W. Somerset Maugham
