The Lotus Eaters

Tatjana Soli’s haunting debut novel begins where it ought to end. In this quietly mesmerizing book about journalists covering the war in Vietnam, the first glimpses of the place are the most familiar. The year is 1975. Americans are in a state of panic as North Vietnamese forces prepare to occupy Saigon. The looters, the desperate efforts to escape this war zone, the mobs surrounding the United States Embassy, the overcrowded helicopters struggling to rise above the chaos: these images seem to introduce Ms. Soli’s readers to a story they already know. "[A] splendid first novel…Helen’s restlessness and grappling, her realization that "a woman sees war differently," provide a new and fascinating perspective on Vietnam. Vivid battle scenes, sensual romantic entanglements and elegant writing add to the pleasures of "The Lotus Eaters." Soli’s hallucinatory vision of wartime Vietnam seems at once familiar and new. The details – the scorched villages, the rancid smells of Saigon – arise naturally, underpinning the novel’s sharp realism and characterization. In an author’s note, Soli writes that she’s been an "eager reader of every book" about Vietnam she has come across, but she is never overt or heavy-handed. Nothing in this novel seems "researched." Rather, its disparate sources have been smoothed and folded into Soli’s own distinct voice." -Danielle Trussoni, The New York Times Book Review "[A] haunting debut novel…quietly mesmerizing…If it sounds as if a love story is the central element in "The Lotus Eaters" (which takes its title from those characters in "The Odyssey" who succumb to the allure of honeyed fruit), Ms. Soli’s book is sturdier than that. Its object lessons in how Helen learns to refine her wartime photography are succinct and powerful. By exposing its readers to the violence of war only gradually and sparingly, the novel becomes all the more effective." -Janet Maslin, The New York Times “The novel is steeped in history, yet gorgeous sensory details enliven the prose… 35 years after the fall of Saigon, Soli’s entrancing debut brings you close enough to feel a part of it." -People (3 1/2 stars) "If it’s possible to judge a novel by its first few lines, then "The Lotus Eaters,’’ Tatjana Soli’s fiction debut, shows great promise right from the start: ‘The city teetered in a dream state. Helen walked down the deserted street. The quiet was eerie. Time running out.’… Anyone who has seen Kathryn’s Bigelow’s Oscar-winning film, "The Hurt Locker," understands that the obsession with violence and risk, at least for a certain personality type, is hard to shake. That Soli’s story explores this mindset from a woman’s perspective (and a journalist, not a soldier) adds interesting and unexpected layers…The author explores Helen’s psyche with startling clarity, and portrays the chaotic war raging around her with great attention to seemingly minor details" -The Boston Globe "Lotus eaters, in Greek mythology, taste and then become possessed by the narcotic plant. Already an accomplished short story writer, Soli uses as her epigraph a passage from Homer's "Odyssey" in which the lotus eaters are robbed of their will to return home. It is a clue, right from the start, that this novel will delve into the lives of those who become so fixated on recording savagery that life in a peaceful, functioning society begins to feel banal and inconsequential." -The Washington Post "An impressive debut novel about a female photographer covering the Vietnam War…A visceral story about the powerful and complex bonds that war creates. It raises profound questions about professional and personal lives that are based on, and often dependent on, a nation’s horrific strife. Graphic but never gratuitous, the gripping, haunting narrative explores the complexity of violence, foreignness, even betrayal. Moving and memorable." -Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "This evocative debut novel is a well researched exploration of Vietnam between 1963 and 1975, when the United States pulled out of the conflict. Like Marianne Wiggins's Eveless Eden and Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried before it, Soli's poignant work will grab the attention of most readers. A powerful new writer to watch." -Library Journal (starred review) "The strength here is in Soli’s vivid, beautiful depiction of war-torn Vietnam, from the dangers of the field where death can be a single step away to the emptiness of the Saigon streets in the final days of the American evacuation." -Booklist "Suspenseful, eloquent, sprawling…This harrowing depiction of life and death shows that even as the country burned, love and hope triumphed." -Publishers Weekly "A haunting world of war, betrayal, courage, obsession, and love." -Tim O’Brien, author of The Things They Carried "You must read The Lotus Eaters, Tatjana Soli’s beautiful and harrowing new novel. Its characters are unforgettable, as real as the historical events in which they’re enmeshed." -Richard Russo, author of Empire Falls and That Old Cape Magic "The very steam from Vietnam's jungles seems to rise from the pages of Tatjana Soli's tremendously evocative debut…A beautiful book." -Janice Y. K. Lee, author of The Piano Teacher "A vivid and memorable evocation of wartime Vietnam…I was most impressed by The Lotus Eaters and enjoyed it from start to finish." -Robert Stone, author of Damascus Gate and Fun With Problems "A mesmerizing novel. Tatjana Soli takes on a monumental task by re-examining a heavily chronicled time and painting it with a lovely, fresh palette. The book is a true gift." -Katie Crouch, author of Girls in Trucks "Tatjana Soli explores the world of war, themes of love and loss, and the complicated question of what drives us toward the heroic with remarkable compassion and grace. This exquisite first novel is among the best I’ve read in years." -Meg Waite Clayton, author of The Wednesday Sisters "A haunting story of unforgettable people who seek, against overwhelming odds, a kind of redemption. A great read from a writer to watch." -Janet Peery, author of River Beyond the World