The Lotus Eaters

Every once in awhile a book comes a long that quite literally takes my breath away.  For that to happen requires the following features to coalesce:  a complex or complicated subject matter (oversimplification isn't interesting to me); dynamic characters (who often struggle with the complex or complicated subject matter); a new lens through which to examine a moment in time; believability; good writing.  For me, this includes Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried; Toni Morrison's Beloved; Jhumpa Lahiri's Interpreter of Maladies, to name a few.   And now, The Lotus Eaters, by Tatjana Soli.

Like Tim O'Brien, The Lotus Eaters is a haunting story about the Vietnam War.  The twist is this:  our protagonist is an American female photo-journalist who falls in love with a ruined country, and like many of the journalists and soldiers who precede her, becomes addicted to its war.  What's particularly lovely about the work are the many nuances Soli effortlessly incorporates:  the extended metaphor of Homer's Odyssey, or the ever-present Vietnam landscape, for example.  Soli brings the Vietnam War to life--rewarding readers in unforgettable ways.  Highly recommended.

Check out the author's website
http://www.tatjanasoli.com/TatjanaSoliAuthor.html