The Unwanted

Author: Kien Nguyen
Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir
Length: 343 pages
Setting: Vietnam; 1972-1985

Context: Born into a life of privilege and wealth, Kien Nguyen’s earliest and happiest memories were of attending the glamorous parties that his single mother threw in their mansion in Nhatrang, Vietnam. Little did young Kien realize that Vietnam was experiencing a political revolution that will throw the country – and his family – into turmoil and instability as Vietcong forces overwhelm the opposing Americans and establish a Communist regime in 1975. For the next ten years, Kien endures unspeakable horrors of a postwar Vietnam, his plight deepened by his identity as an Amerasian, the son of a Vietnamese mother and American father. With sparse but lyrical prose, Kien not only tells his story of survival but paints an intimate and unnerving portrait of the aftermath of the Vietnam War.

Overall Impressions: My emotions were in a perpetual state of astonishment and dread as I read the memoir, but by no means does that signify distaste towards the book. Although bleak and not for the faint of heart, Kien’s memoir is an inspirational story of a young boy caught in the crossfire of war and its aftermath, not only survives, but courageously goes on to relate his experiences to the rest of the world with a mastery of creative English prose. Despite the personal nature of the memoir, I could not help but wonder if Kien Nguyen also intended the book to be a scathing outcry against the ‘evils’ of Communism, but he said it best when he wrote, “I just wanted to heal myself.” In revealing his past, he also hopes to give a voice to the countless Amerasian children whose “lost childhoods might finally be mourned, and their buried secrets at last revealed.” And in that regard, I firmly believe he succeeded.

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American Shaolin

Title: American Shaolin
Author: Matthew Polly
Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir
Length: 366 pages
Setting: Kansas, USA; Henan Province, China; 1991-1993, 2003

Context: After a childhood of being relentlessly bullied on the playground and constantly being reminded of his inadequacies with a self-made list of shortcomings, Matthew Polly finally decided to do something about it. He went to China to learn kungfu from Shaolin monks for two years. Thus begins an incredible, sometimes touching, always humorous journey of an American young man who sought enlightenment and self-improvement and finds it on the other side of the world.

Overall impressions: Polly proves that an intelligently written book does not have to be dull or boring. Polly also parallels the growth of China from the shadows of Communism in the early ‘90s with his own journey to maturity, contributing his unique perspective as a laowai (foreigner) who possesses a poignant affection for China, its culture, language, and people. His admiration and interest in China illuminates brightly from the pages of his recollections. Polly also restored my faith that a foreigner can indeed be well-versed in the nuances of the country that he has adopted as his own. Although his decision to take two years off his academic studies at Princeton to follow his seemingly preposterous quest to find the ancient mythical birthplace of kungfu and using his father’s hard earned money to do so is not exactly the best example to follow, he proved that following one’s dreams can be just as instructional as any education in a prestigious university.

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By the River Piedra, I Sat Down and Wept

Warning: Review contains spoilers. Read at your own risk.

Title: By the River Piedra, I Sat Down and Wept
Author: Paulo Coelho
Honors: International Bestseller
Genre: Fiction, Religion
Length: 180 pages
Setting: French Pyrenees, 1993

Plot: Fearing suffering and rejection, Pilar, a struggling university student, is trying to put down roots that tie her to the stability of life – a devoted husband, a good job. She receives an invitation to a lecture delivered by her childhood sweetheart, who has become a revolutionary spiritual leader and reputed miracle worker. He then invites her to accompany him to a religious engagement he has at a village in the French Pyrenees. In a moment’s inspiration, Pilar agrees. On their journey, they re-examine their past love, which neither had had the courage to admit. She must find the courage to open her heart to love and life, and he must reconcile his love for her with his spiritual calling. Together, they gather the courage and understanding to face the future.

Overall Impression: As a novel, the story may seem rather flat and anticlimactic, and the characters merely used as vehicles to perpetrate Coelho’s ideas. But if you accept the book as a fable, Coelho’s writing is poetic and magical, and weaves a strong message – his signature theme on the importance of following your dreams. His imagery of freedom and the joy of finding miracles in everyday life, whether through love or through God, are as tantalizing as they are inspirational. However, for those unfamiliar with what to look for, the ideas in By the River present themselves in a convoluted and complex manner. Portrayed as a love story, the book then proceeds to introduce a heavy amount of religion, describing in depth the revolutionary perspective of the feminine face of God. It takes a good deal of reflection to dig through his hints on finding love and God, and piece together the truth which Coelho actually presented early in the novel – “joy is sometimes a blessing, but it is often a conquest.”

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