Review: A Haunting Tale of Redemption, Love and Forgiveness
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 10, 2014
This tale of redemption, love and forgiveness is actually three stories interconnected. All three surround the Vietnam War and how it affected their lives. First, Heng Souk, the Vietnamese General and his niece, Sun Tieng. Second is the diary of a prisoner of war named Ephraim Luther which severs as the center of this remarkable story. Thirdly, there is Thomas who is given life-changing news and sets out on a quest for the truth.What unfolds is a gripping story of the power of human nature and tenacity. I couldn't help but feel a haunting admiration for Heng Souk's transformation from one of evil to one of love and compassion in spite of what he did during the war. His insight into life is reminiscent of a Taoist Master. Through his actions, (albeit, malevolent) he has attained such an incredible wisdom, here are some to illustrate my point, “It doesn’t have to be fair, it need only be accurate.” "I’ve realized I’m less important than I once thought I was.” and “Does it matter? Either way the result is the same.”Along with Heng Souk, there are little literary jewels like this one, " The history of a man is not just in his eyes, it can be witnessed in his stance." Along with these gems is the authenticity of the story, It shows a knowledge of Vietnam that adds to the depth of the story. Here is an example of what I mean, The air -conditioning had stopped working before her father had died but she hadn’t had it repaired because she preferred it that way. The rich of Hanoi drove with the windows up and the air-conditioning on because it distanced them from the peasants on their bikes. A closed car window was a symbol of wealth. She liked to drive with the windows down and the wind in her hair and the country in her nostrils."This is one of those books that takes a hard look at the introspective nature of humanity in relation to emotions and why we do what we do. It will leave you in deep contemplation, seeing that surrender and redemption is at hand. While it took awhile for me to figure out where the story was going, I was nevertheless impressed with the opening chapter with Sun Tieng and Heng Souk, and his thoughts on being a patient was so profound compared to how his situation was viewed. However when Sun discovered and started reading the diary, everything started to fall into place.Overall, an extremity authentic look at a chapter of our history that can be hard to accept. Written in a manner that exposes the truth in a way that suspends judgment. An enthralling read that held my attention, both entertaining and enlightening. Top tier quality writing, this is one book that will stick with you, Well done, thanks,