About the Book:
"My heart sank. I dumped my father's ashes in the heart of communist Vietnam - over a thousand miles from the death of his comrades - over a thousand miles from the smile of that girl. How could I have been so stupid?"
Only the bumbling, overweight, thirtyish, stay-at-home Martin Kinney could have mistakenly flubbed his dying father's request with such gusto. This thousand mile mistake awakens the ghosts of long-held family secrets and puts Martin on a fateful course with an unlikely romantic interest - a young, beautiful, yet troubled Vietnamese woman named My Phuong.
With its cross-cultural setting and unlikely romance, the 61,000 word novel Beauty Rising creates a powerful, unique voice in today's literature. In a swift-moving, dialogue-driven prose which is funny, honest, tragic and unpredictable, Beauty Rising explores the depths of culture, family, and love as the Vietnam War, a generation removed, continues to hang on the periphery of society, cursing families and causing destruction.
About the Author:
Mark W. Sasse was born in Western Pennsylvania, but has lived in Vietnam and Malaysia for most of the past two decades. He has degrees in English and history, and currently teaches drama, speech, and history in Penang - his tropical island of inspiration.
Sasse is passionate about drama, and has written, produced, and directed nearly ten full-length productions including "Life with Stewart", "Spy Blue", "Take Two" & "Romans on the Couch." His works are known for being plot-driven with strong characters all having something to say through meaningful, thought-provoking dialogue.
His more recent endeavors include co-founding a high-school drama troupe called "The RLT Players", who produce original, funny, and poignant short plays.
My Review:
This book was messed up. In a good way. I can not believe the ending. I am still thinking about it. Did that really happen? Did the author seriously do that? The Vietnam War was not good for anyone. This book showed what happened to so many of the US soldiers, that I believe to be Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The soldier's (Martin's dad) life was ruined, and he came home a different man, negatively affecting his family.
The secret about Martin's mom was also very shocking, especially for the time period it took place in. The characters were all intertwined and I loved watching them interact. I also loved how the author ended the book for Martin. I definitely recommend this book. I am giving this book a 5/5. I was given a copy to review, however all opinions are my own.
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