The Man from Saigon

Starred review from December 21, 2009
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.

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. Ericksen's driving delivery unites the points of view of British war correspondent Susan Gifford; her American colleague and lover, Marc Davis; and Vietnamese photographer Hoang Van Son. Situations, locales, and time periods switch periodically from Susan and Marc's initial love affair in Saigon to Susan and Son's capture by three Vietcong soldiers and Marc's torment while Susan is missing. Each change reveals relationship complexities, secrets, and increasing character depth. While these alternating points of view realistically suggest the fragmented feeling of the war experience, Ericksen's intensity provides listening continuity. S.W. (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine