3 out of 4 stars
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The Vietnam War is a difficult but important subject. The tragedies that occurred during this war shaped the future of Vietnam and the United States and left permanent scars on the lives of millions of people. W. Thomas Leonard's novel, Napalm's Embrace, tells the story of a US Marine who desires to serve his country and a Vietnamese woman who tries to serve her people.
When Second Lieutenant John William Brady arrives in Vietnam, he is assigned to Civil Affairs. His job is to improve relations with the Vietnamese people by organizing medical care and providing supplies and assistance for building projects in local villages. His assistant and translator, Tran Thi Sam, not only aids Brady and his team of Marines in communicating with the locals, but also helps Brady get to know the Vietnamese people, their culture, and the history that led up to the current conflict.
Sam, an educated and multi-lingual Vietnamese woman, is the key to understanding the war from the perspective of the Vietnamese people. As the story unfolds, she shares more of her own history along with the history of her people. Learning history from a predominantly American perspective, I never realized that Vietnam had been invaded by so many other nations. With this in mind, it only makes sense that American soldiers would be viewed as invaders as well.
As Brady learns about the people and sees the suffering brought about by war, it only adds to the conflicts he is experiencing within himself and in his personal life. With a fiance back home, Brady struggles with his growing attraction for Sam. Even as he longs to return home and get married, war is separating him from his fiance in more ways than one. Additionally, racial tensions are high within the Marines as the Civil Right's movement progresses back home in the United States. Leonard masterfully presents the racial issues of the time through a variety of minor characters who display a wide range of perspectives and attitudes.
I learned so much about what life was like for both American soldiers and Vietnamese civilians through reading this book. While I can never comprehend the terror and tragedy these people experienced, I am glad to have a little better understanding of the complexity of the situation and the factors that lead to civilian deaths and so much trauma. I truly wish those who cruelly called veterans "baby killers" had simply asked them to tell their stories. Through combat scenes depicted from Brady's perspective, I got a taste of the confusion and chaos the soldiers faced in the midst of a life and death struggle.
In spite of all the good thing I have to say about this book, the editing simply does not allow me to give it a perfect score. I am giving this book 3 out of 4 stars because of the dozens of small errors throughout the entire book. These errors include many missing quotation marks, "though" instead of "thought," and missing commas. These errors do sometimes reduce the clarity and flow of the text. Although I was terribly disappointed by the poor editing, it does not negate the value of this story. That said, this book contains detailed and graphic descriptions of combat, including civilian casualties of all ages. I recommend this book to adults who want to learn more about the Vietnam War. Though I would not consider myself a fan of the war history genre, I am grateful for the insights I have gained from this book which I hope will help me relate more compassionately to those who still bare the scars of this war today.
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Napalm's Embrace
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. I am sorrow than I can find words for. I beg your forgiveness and that if every Vietnam veteran on my knees. I wish I could retract everything, I remain an appallingly ignorant and immature female. I regret every personal opinion I have ever shared on this subject as I am not qualified to have one.
