The Man from Saigon
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
"After all the stories of battles and deaths, of torture and loss and hatred, someone should tell this one, too, about a man who moved among them, who seemed to love them."
1967. Vietnam. Susan Gifford is one of the first female correspondents on assignment in Saigon, 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, they find themselves the prisoners of three Vietcong soldiers who have been separated from their unit.
Now, under constant threat from American air strikes, helpless in the hands of the enemy, they face the daily hardships of the jungle, living always with the threat of being killed. But Son turns out to have a history that Susan would never have guessed, and which will one day separate her from her American lover. Held under terrifyingly harsh conditions it becomes clear just how profound and important their relationship has become to both of them.
Reviews
Praise for ‘Daniel Isn’t Talking’
‘If you like fiction emphatic and passionate, you’ll relish this…’ Independent
‘So heartfelt, realistic and informative…Leimbach vividly portrays both overwhelming maternal love and the ins and outs of autism…’ Sunday Times
‘One of the most enchanting and gripping books of the year…Leimbach knows how to engage her readers completely.’ Daily Mail
‘Tender, involving tale of a family in crisis.’ Woman and Home
‘Never bleak, this inspiring read sheds light on the often misunderstood condition.’ Works Magazine
‘Powerful and moving, and also surprisingly funny. A love story in every sense.’ Deborah Moggach
‘I adored “Daniel isn’t Talking”. I was riveted, engrossed – all those wonderful things one hopes for when opening a book. I thought her portrayal of a mother facing unbelievable hardships was very real and gripping.’ Anita Shreve
About the author
Marti Leimbach was born in 1963 in Washington, DC. She has written several other novels, one of which, Dying Young, was turned into a major feature film in 1991 staring Julia Roberts. Marti now lives in the UK.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Leimbach (Dying Young) sets her vivid and powerful new novel in 1967 Vietnam to tell the story of Susan Gifford, a women's magazine writer who arrives in-country 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. During an ambush, Susan and Son are captured by the Vietcong and are marched into the jungle. When they are reported missing, Marc drops a potentially big story to find them. Meanwhile, Susan begins to suspect that Son may not be who he seems. Leimbach masterfully conjures the hothouse atmosphere of foreign correspondents in Saigon in the late 1960s, and in Susan she has created a heroine who is a worthy counterpart to the real life reporters who covered the war. 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.
