Thursday, June 10, 2010

Book Review - The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soli and Giveaway!

The Lotus Eaters: A Novel A story intertwining war and love--

I've read books about the Vietnam war but this one was a unique story. A story of a woman determined to be the best she can be as a photojournalist. 
After losing her brother in the war, Helen Adams decides she needs to see it for herself . Helen gets out there, right in the middle of danger, scared but strong and determined.  Helen also meets Darrow, an obsessed photojournalist who just can't leave it all behind and falls in love but finds out that in war, nothing lasts forever.  

I loved the story, the writing is beautiful, the story line kept going , never slowing down:
"Helen's heart knocked so hard in her chest that her breath came out shallow and rasping. No was is this happening, she thought. She crept forward, kneeling as Tong's soldiers moved away from him, sensing his rage; she got closer to frame the shot when Tong, standing stiff, stuck his right arm straight out, the revolver against the old man's head..."

Intense! I also loved how the beauty of the villages were described:

"Monsoon showers came, and with it the percussion of water against the broad leaves of banana and rubber trees that lined the paths of the village.  The heavy earth smell of rain. Drops pummeled against the thatched roof; rivulets curled down the inside corners of the walls..."
I highly recommend this book! 



SYNOPSIS

A unique and sweeping debut novel of an American female combat photographer in the Vietnam War, as she captures the wrenching chaos and finds herself torn between the love of two men. 

On a stifling day in 1975, the North Vietnamese army is poised to roll into Saigon. As the fall of the city begins, two lovers make their way through the streets to escape to a new life. Helen Adams, an American photojournalist, must take leave of a war she is addicted to and a devastated country she has come to love. Linh, the Vietnamese man who loves her, must grapple with his own conflicted loyalties of heart and homeland. As they race to leave, they play out a drama of devotion and betrayal that spins them back through twelve war-torn years, beginning in the splendor of Angkor Wat, with their mentor, larger-than-life war correspondent Sam Darrow, once Helen's infuriating love and fiercest competitor, and Linh's secret keeper, boss and truest friend.
Tatjana Soli paints a searing portrait of an American woman’s struggle and triumph in Vietnam, a stirring canvas contrasting the wrenching horror of war and the treacherous narcotic of obsession with the redemptive power of love. Readers will be transfixed by this stunning novel of passion, duty and ambition among the ruins of war.

From  Tatjana Soli's website 

About Tatjana Soli --  Tatjana Soli is a novelist and short story writer. Born in Salzburg, Austria, she attended Stanford University and the Warren Wilson MFA Program. Her stories have appeared in The Sun, StoryQuarterly, Confrontation, Gulf Coast, Other Voices, Nimrod, Third Coast, Carolina Quarterly, Sonora Review and North Dakota Quarterly among other publications. Her work has been twice listed in the 100 Distinguished Stories in Best American Short Stories and nominated for the Pushcart Prize. She was awarded the Pirate’s Alley Faulkner Prize, the Dana Award, finalist for the Bellwether Prize, and received scholarships to the Sewanee Writers’ Conference and Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference. She lives with her husband in Orange County, California, and teaches through the Gotham Writers’ Workshop.

THE LOTUS EATERS by Tatjana Soli from Expanded Books on Vimeo.
Called both beautiful and harrowing, Tatjana Soli's debut novel THE LOTUS EATERS combines narrative excitement and the powers of love and war in a lucid tale of a female combat journalist covering the tragic Vietnam War.




I have 1 gently used copy to give away!


To enter, you'll need to be a Google Friend Follower or a 


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US & Canada only please.  Ends June 25th.

 

39 comments:

Suko said...

No need to enter me in this great giveaway--I have this book. Wonderful review!

Ashley said...

I'm a follower and would love to read this!

hewella1 at gmail dot com

Laurel-Rain Snow said...

This book sounds wonderful...I've been seeing it around.

No need to enter me, though; I'm afraid that I will soon be buried in books! lol

Great review!

Unknown said...

I'm not eligible for the giveaway but just had to say I enjoyed the excerpts you chose. Very evocative.

Unknown said...

I am a folllower and I would love to win this book.

wiseowlreviews@aol.com

Jillian said...

My sister read this book and absolutley loved it!

jreedy43090@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

I'd like to enter. I am a GFC follower.

peacelily_2006(at)yahoo(dot)com

Elise said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Elise said...
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Elise said...

GFC follower. Hope to win.

caliblue7 at gmail dot com

Cindy W. said...

I would love to win this book.

I am a follower.

Smiles,
Cindy W

countrybear52[at]yahoo[dot]com

Nan said...

I'd love to be entered in the giveaway. I am a subscriber through google reader.

vtgoat[at]gmail[dot]com

Unknown said...

Hi Natalie! I have an award for you on my blog.

Anonymous said...

No need to enter me, as I've already read the book. I absolutely loved it!

I hope it's okay to link to this post on War Through the Generations.

--Anna

Sarah E said...

Please enter me in this giveaway!

I follow on GFC.

familyhistree at yahoo dot com

Sarah E

Sarah E said...

I tweeted:

http://twitter.com/saemmerson/status/16290644007

familyhistree at yahoo dot com

Sarah E

Sarah E said...

I shared on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/sarah.emmerson?v=wall&story_fbid=127972627236208&ref=mf

familyhistree at yahoo dot com

Sarah E

Anonymous said...

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Plus check out my giveaway at the book club. No need to join the club, just sign in with yahoo, gmail, twitter or facebook.

Enter here:

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Marjorie/cenya2 said...

This book sounds amazing and I would love to win it.
I just finished reading Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and
it was my best book yet this year.

I follow by google reader.

cenya2 at hotmail dot com

Janna said...

Great review. I'm a new follower and would love to win this book!

janna_voss (at) yahoo (dot) com
http://www.primoreads.com/

Book Lover said...

I'm a new GFC follower :)

time4mommy@gmail.com

Book Lover said...

Tweeted http://twitter.com/Time4mommy/status/16892026258
time4mommy@gmail.com

Johnny said...

I am a GFC follower. I would love to read this book!
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Unknown said...

I've been wanting to read this one!
I follow via gfc.
dianarod23 at gmail dot com

Unknown said...

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Unknown said...

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I am a follower via GFC.

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Jennifer said...

Thanks for the great giveaway. Please enter me! I am a new follower.
pinkpeonyblossom at gmail dot com

Unknown said...

I have this book on my wish list.
I follow you.

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Abkreader said...

I enjoyed reading the review and synopsis. I would love to enter this giveaway.

I am a gfc follower.

abkreader at gmail dot com

Unknown said...

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Count me in. I now follow you.

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Unknown said...

I follow via GFC.

This sounds like a book I would read.
Thanks for the chance.
azndrmr2 at gmail dot com

Unknown said...

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Unknown said...

GFC follower of this blog.
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Unknown said...

Enter me, I am a follower. Thanks!

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Unknown said...

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Rodger said...

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I now follow you on GFC.
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Unknown said...

This book seems like a really good book to read. I've seen it around and have been wanting to read it.
I am a gfc follower.

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Unknown said...

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Elise said...

Posted this giveaway on my sidebar.
http://bookish-delights.blogspot.com/

caliblue7 at gmail dot com