A Bend in the River: 2 Sisters Struggle to Survive the Vietnam War

Review AWARDS:Winner, Book of the Year (Indie Fiction), Chicago Writers AssociationWinner, Foreword Magazine 2020 Silver Medal, Book of the Year, Military-War. CategoryFinalist, 2020 Indies Next Generation Book Awards, Historical Fiction Category "In a brilliant departure from her earlier work, award-winning thriller writer Libby Fischer Hellmann has crafted a stunning piece of historical fiction. A Bend in the River is the story of two Vietnamese sisters torn apart by the war that ravaged their nation. Writing from the perspective of these women whose homeland was so brutally devastated, Hellmann has turned her astute, poetic eye from the hellish battlefields to the details of the daily lives of ordinary people struggling through the morass of a long and bitter conflict. The result is a story that will force us all to look back on the Vietnam War with a different, and I believe kinder, understanding. This is an important novel that deserves a broad audience. Kudos to Hellmann for her courage in striking out in this bold, new direction."--William Kent Krueger, This Tender Land"Libby Fischer Hellmann is at her best in this novel about Tam and Mai, teen aged sisters from the Mekong Delta, who bravely flee their destroyed village to support themselves in wartime Saigon. This gripping international saga illuminates the complexities of politics and loyalty and love, and is a powerful testament to the strength of women."-- Sujata Massey, The Perveen Mistry, Rei Shimura Mysteries and The Sleeping Dictionary "In this richly drawn tour de force, Libby Hellmann paints an Asian family saga over two continents. Two sisters take different paths, struggle to confront the past, themselves, and each other. Highly recommended."--Cara Black, NY Times Bestselling author of Three Hours in Paris"Hellmann smoothly integrates into her harrowing narrative such aspects of the conflict as guerilla warfare, spying, Agent Orange, reeducation camps, and boat people. This passionate story of survival has staying power." Publishers Weekly"With an intriguing story and characters to care about, I'm adding A BEND IN THE RIVER to my Best of 2020 list." Lone Star Literary Life"Carefully researched, thoughtfully organized and appealingly written by a master storyteller" Buried Under BooksBookTrib chose BEND as "One of 16 Favorites from 2020 That You Probably Never Heard of. Product Description In 1968 two young Vietnamese sisters flee to Saigon after their village on the Mekong River is attacked by American forces and burned to the ground. The only survivors of the brutal massacre that killed their family, the sisters struggle to survive but become estranged, separated by sharply different choices and ideologies. Mai ekes out a living as a GI bar girl in Saigon but Tâm's anger festers, and she heads into jungle terrain to fight with the Viet Cong. For nearly ten years, neither sister knows if the other is alive. Do they both survive the war? And if they do, can they mend their fractured relationship? Or are the wounds from their journeys too deep to heal? In a stunning departure from her two series of crime thrillers, Libby Fischer Hellmann delves into a universal story about survival, family, and the consequences of war. About the Author Libby Fischer Hellmann left a career in broadcast news in Washington, DC and moved to Chicago a long time ago, where she, naturally, began to write gritty crime fiction. She soon began writing historical fiction as well. Sixteen novels and twenty-five short stories later, she claims they'll take her out of the Windy City feet first. She has been nominated for many awards in the mystery and crime writi