This is the first book that has moved me in a while. There are times when you come across a book that you become completely buried in…it is hard to break away even for a moment without finding out what will happen next. I felt this way about The Lotus Eaters yet in some ways the story was so intense I had to make myself put it down at times. This is a story about Vietnam and it captures so many different aspects of the war, the country and the people who were part of it.
Helen Adams comes to Vietnam as a photojournalist after her brother is killed in the war. She is a fairly inexperienced photographer and comes as a “tourist of war.” She meets other journalists and begins to learn from them, particularly Sam Darrow who she also becomes involved with. During this time she goes from doing human interest stories to combat missions and capturing the death, destruction, and meaningful moments for people involved. With her camera she feels that she can capture the truth of the war.
The third person who plays an important role is Linh, who works with both Helen and Darrow. He is Vietnamese and has been part of both the NVA and SVA at different times and then is a photographer with the Americans. He helps Helen and Darrow navigate his country, his war.
While the characters are beautifully written and I am interested in their relationships and what happens between them, the real story for me was Vietnam. There are descriptions of the country that just bring you right in, and then there is the war, the battles, the soldiers. This book took me through so many different emotions from fear, anxiety, grief and hope. I can’t imagine the bravery of those who were actually there.
I would highly recommend this book. I did feel that it ended kind of quickly, but otherwise felt it was perfect.
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