Here's what I wrote in 2012 about this read: "Impressive novel. Heavily researched, the author's first, and excellent character development. Helen is a Vietnam photographer, and the experiences of war photojournalists comes to lfie via her and her companions. Vietnam, the country AND the war, become more real and the love story is tender and human. So memorably worth the (engrossing) read." ( )

Uneven in its execution, The Lotus Eaters ultimately is a literary failure. It attempts to be something more than it is, which essentially is a romance novel. In some ways, that's a pity, for the author has the knack of establishing mood and setting, a real feel for Vietnam and Southeast Asia. It's her story and characters that let down the reader. Built around war photographer Helen Adams, the plot follows a sort of connect-the-dots Vietnam War storyline. We have Helen, the ingenue; Helen the outraged, determined to bring justice; Helen the brave; Helen the reckless; Helen the defender of orphans; Helen wounded in action; Helen in love; more Helen in love; Helen returning home in the same way as disrespected war veterans; Helen at the fall of Saigon; Helen uncovering the Cambodian genocide. And all the while, Helen never really changes. Over a ten year period, she is no different on the inside than she was at the beginning. She doesn't seem to learn; instead, she feels. But worst of all is what we have here as the only point of tension in the novel: will the Vietnam War ever stop distracting from and threatening Helen's love life? In the end, it's trite. More than that, it's a moral obscenity.

There is also the issue of authenticity. Somehow, despite the good job of creating a feeling of presence in Southeast Asia (far superior to Viet Thanh Nguyen's recently acclaimed work), the book seems artificial, once or twice removed from the original experience you would expect to find in people like Caputo, Herr, or Hasford. It seems fake. ( )

This was a great book about a female reporter in Vietnam from 1965-1975. It was fictionalized but I recognized a lot of the places and events that I have previously studied. This was Soli's debut novel and the writing was languid, flowing, and soulful. My only complaint was the last page--the ending was abrupt and tied up with a neat little bow--as I don't think any wars are. 386 pages ( )

Read this book. It is a beautifully told and haunting story; you have never seen Vietnam like this. ( )

I so wanted to love this book, and I think the writing is really good. But the characters are made of cardboard, and the plot is so predictable. So I felt kind of meh by the end. ( )