It's 1967, and Susan Gifford is one of the first female correspondents on assignment in Saigon. She is dedicated to her job and passionately in love with an American TV reporter. Son is a Vietnamese photographer anxious to get his work into the American press. Together they cover every aspect of the war, from combat missions to the workings of field hospitals. Then one November morning, narrowly escaping death during an ambush, Susan and Son find themselves the prisoners of three Vietcong soldiers who have been separated from their unit.
Now, under constant threat from American air strikes and helpless in the hands of the enemy, they face the daily hardships of the jungle together. As time passes, the bond between Susan and Son deepens, and it becomes increasingly difficult for Son to harbor the secret that could have profound consequences for them both.
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"Incredibly well written, gripping, mesmerizing, literary, fantastic; i guess that means I liked the book. Superb writing, difficult subject, and wonderful point of view - woman journalist is protagonist. At any rate a friend in book club recommended it, and we are glad she did. We fell in love with the book!"
— Esther (5 out of 5 stars)
Susan Ericksen's forceful reading perfectly conveys this novel: the oppressive heat and humidity of its setting---1967 Vietnam, the relentless tension of its plot, and the ongoing stress of its three war-beset characters.
— AudioFile“Whether describing a convoy taking fire, a farcical press briefing, a quiet moment between Susan and Marc, or the ironic aftermath of Susan’s ordeal, Leimbach expertly captures the contradictions of the war, making this a solid addition to the literature of an endlessly reconsidered conflict.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)" Set in Vietnam during the war a news reporter is kidnapped. Actually two are kidnapped, but one is an American woman and one is a Vietnamese man. Susan and Son are brought through the jungle to a secret hiding place. The strength of the novel is in the descriptions of what she sees and how she feels. But it is slow-moving and there doesn't seem to be much of a plot other than will she be rescued? "
— Carmen, 2/19/2014" Marti Leimbach has a well-developed sense of smell. We smell much more than we would like as we tag along with a reporter in the Viet Nam war. I found this to be a thrilling read. "
— Fredsky, 1/24/2014" Didn't finish, it just never grabbed me. "
— Helen, 1/10/2014" Very good book, for me it was a page turner so difficult to put down. We are in Vietnam during the war where a female journalist get captured by Vietcong soldiers. Very believable story, you would think that Leimback had been there herself. "
— Mie, 12/19/2013" Interesting story about an American female journalist who is abducted by Viet Cong. I have liked this author's previous works but this one was not as engaging for me. "
— Signora, 12/15/2013" I read a book early this year called "The Lotus Eaters" and I cannot believe how similar these two books are. Both feature a woman journalist/photographer newly arrived in Vietnam. She develops a relationship with a married American journalist and partners with a mysterious Vietnamese photographer. Both writers did an excellent job describing Vietnam and not such a great job with the plot or character development. In this book, the main character is captured by three Vietcong soldiers. The group are lost and travel through the jungle looking for the soldiers' unit. This part of the book seemed endless to me. The story flips back and forth between the present (when she is a captive) and the past (when she gets started in Vietnam). Of the two, I liked "The Lotus Eaters" better. "
— Jean, 12/11/2013" Great sense of time and place. Jump right in to life of an American, woman journalist in Viet Nam during the early years of the "American" war. Well done! "
— Carrie, 12/9/2013" Very descriptive. Not much narrative. Good perspective from a womans veiwpoint in Vietnam. "
— Connie, 11/15/2013" Most enjoyable, but I was left up in the air at the end. "
— Elizabeth, 11/3/2013" Gripping story of a young and naive female journalist thrown head first into Vietnam conflict. Great book, descriptive writing. "
— Karrie, 10/27/2013" Difficult to read (1967 in Vietnam, female reporter encounters the war...), but worth the discomfort it may cause. Fiction, but based on much research and writings of women who were there in that capacity. Excellent writing. "
— Laurel, 10/11/2013" Very interesting book. Loved the story line....a journalist and her photographer in Vietnam. But dragged on in certain parts. Worth reading "
— Dancerhjr, 4/27/2013" Meh. Read this for book club, interested to see where the discussion goes. Not one I'll remember or recommend. "
— Lauren, 2/11/2013" This book is written about a time in Vietnam when I was there as a Captain in the US Air Force. It was an interesting read, but unless you have some ties to Vietnam and the era in which the story was written it wouldn't hold your interest "
— Larry, 2/5/2013" The plot was so good but everything else about it was very flat. I might be interested in reading a non-fictin biography on the topic since that is where the author got all her ideas from. "
— Marianne, 11/30/2012" I liked this book -- having had so many friends die or get injured in the Vietnam War this book brought me insight into the horrific nature of this war. I thought the story was well told and the end seemed very realistic. A good read. "
— Jan, 9/1/2011" I read different types of books and this one is out of my mystery and court room drama type. This is definitely a war novel but focus on a strong female reporter who fines friendship in distractions from seeing combat. Good writing with charactors who really come to life on pages. "
— Diane, 8/6/2011" Susan Gifford, a women's magazine writer who arrives in Vietnam to write human interest stories about the war. Instead, she ends up covering combat and finds an intense friendship with Son, a Vietnamese photographer, and an equally intense love affair with Marc, a married American journalist. "
— L, 6/29/2011" Not bad. It's an interesting approach, focusing on a woman correspondent in the Vietnam war, but it didn't carry the emotional weight that the best Vietnam war novels I have read do. "
— John, 6/27/2011" "Not much to say; pretty interestingand it had a few twists. Not terrific." "
— Danette, 6/15/2011" Very descriptive. Not much narrative. Good perspective from a womans veiwpoint in Vietnam. "
— Connie, 3/30/2011" Didn't finish, it just never grabbed me. "
— Helen, 3/19/2011" Not bad. It's an interesting approach, focusing on a woman correspondent in the Vietnam war, but it didn't carry the emotional weight that the best Vietnam war novels I have read do. "
— John, 1/16/2011" <br/> Good ,,As being a Viet Vet..not bad..... <br/> <br/> Not many women journalist.. <br/> 1967.. "
— Gene, 1/6/2011" The plot was so good but everything else about it was very flat. I might be interested in reading a non-fictin biography on the topic since that is where the author got all her ideas from. "
— Marianne, 12/22/2010" Most enjoyable, but I was left up in the air at the end. "
— Elizabeth, 11/19/2010" Very interesting book. Loved the story line....a journalist and her photographer in Vietnam. But dragged on in certain parts. Worth reading "
— Dancerhjr, 10/17/2010" Difficult to read (1967 in Vietnam, female reporter encounters the war...), but worth the discomfort it may cause. Fiction, but based on much research and writings of women who were there in that capacity. Excellent writing. "
— Laurel, 8/8/2010" Interesting story about an American female journalist who is abducted by Viet Cong. I have liked this author's previous works but this one was not as engaging for me. "
— Signora, 7/11/2010" It was okay - but too similar to another book that I read recently. The other book was much better. This one was also about a female reporter in Saigon and her relationship with both an American male reporter and a Vietnamese man. "
— Trudi, 6/16/2010" Would have been a 4/5 star book, but the end was so disappointing. "
— Christy, 5/2/2010" This book is written about a time in Vietnam when I was there as a Captain in the US Air Force. It was an interesting read, but unless you have some ties to Vietnam and the era in which the story was written it wouldn't hold your interest "
— Larry, 4/16/2010Marti Leimbach is the author of several novels, including the international bestseller Dying Young, which was made into a major motion picture starring Julia Roberts, and Daniel Isn’t Talking. Born in Washington, DC, she currently lives in England and teaches in Oxford University’s creative writing program.
Susan Ericksen is an actor and voice-over artist. She has been awarded numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards as well as the prestigious Audie Award for best narration. As an actor and director, she has worked in theaters throughout the country.