The Lotus Eaters

I can't believe The Lotus Eaters is Tatjana Soli's first book! And, what a book it is. As a daughter of Vietnamese immigrants whose parents fled their home when Saigon fell to communism, this book was especially poignant and eye-opening. It's also motivated me to start reading more about the war and understanding (as much as I can from a distance of geography and decades of life in the U.S.) what my parents faced during the war.

This book takes its readers on a journey with an aspiring, novice photo journalist, Helen, as she immerses herself into the war-torn country of Vietnam in pursuit of clues as to her brother's death. Along the way she falls in love with two men and a country she deemed as "backward" when she first arrived. Her life is transformed as she photographs the horrors, tragedies and glimpses of humanity through the lens of her camera. As a unique breed of female photojournalists, her courage and strength are beautifully juxtaposed with her unequivocal feminine vulnerability and compassion. 

You will become intimately connected with the three main characters and learn to love and hate the supporting cast throughout this story. Darrow, a seasoned and obsessed photographer causes you to admire and hate him at the same time for he can't separate his work and his love. Linh, a Vietnamese man who has survived horror one cannot begin to imagine, grows on you as you learn about him - Soli reveals his story and character layer by layer. And, of course, Helen. She is the naive photographer who grows and evolves during the decade she spends covering the war.

While I can't attest to what is true and what is fiction in The Lotus Eaters, I can commend Soli for the work, research, dedication and time she put forth in creating a story of fiction that weaves in facts and real-life events such that it was difficult to separate story from reality. There aren't many authors who can strike such an effective balance. Those who enjoy non-fiction will respect the research into making the setting, events, etc so real and those who enjoy fiction will not be disappointed by the beautiful plots woven intricately from chapter to chapter.

This is a definite must-read.