Many thanks to NetGalley, Farrar, Straus & Giroux and Macmillan Audio for gifting me an audio ARC of the latest masterpiece by Alice McDermott, beautifully narrated by Jesse Vilinsky and Rachel Kenney - 5 stars!
In Saigon in 1963, two American wives meet and form a friendship of sorts. Tricia is a newlywed, married to an engineer working for the US Navy Intelligence. Charlene is a corporate spouse and mother of three, the obvious leader of all the American women. She is on a mission to help relieve the horrible conditions she sees around here, collecting and distributing toys and food to hospitals, orphanages and even a leper colony. Decades later, Charlene's daughter reaches out to Tricia, widowed and living in Washington, and the two share their experiences.
Wow - what gorgeous writing. I loved the epistolary manner the story was told - in the form of a long letter from Tricia to Charlene's now adult child, Rainey. In this way, Tricia was able to emphasize the differences between now and then, which I thoroughly enjoyed, as well as talk about her past growing up in NY. You will be transported to Vietnam early in the war and to a different era, when women were definitely second class citizens, especially in the military. They didn't ask questions of their husbands, just packed up and moved to wherever they were sent, and even doctors chalked issues to women's emotions. It's a look at how things were so different for different classes and peoples - parties for officers, while children begged in the streets. Charlene wasn't always successful and was definitely controlling, but she did try to do what she could for others. I adored the character of Dom and his wonderful big heart. Highly recommended!
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