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The Vietnamese have claimed victory over the French, culminating in the final battle of the Indochina War. As thousands of legionnaire survivors move forward on a trail leading to imprisonment, two men are not among them. Sadly, the young Auschwitz survivor, Avram, and the German Army deserter, Jaehne, have not survived. Only Sal, a dedicated combat medic, remains. But even his life remains in question as the battle for food and water becomes a daily struggle.
Meanwhile in Paris, René is filled with melancholy and missing Sal. Now as she returns to work as a nurse at the hospital where she met and fell in love with Sal, René focuses on bringing new energy to her work. While she continues hoping that one day she and her beloved will be reunited, Quinn, a Vietnamese physician, works feverishly to prepare for an onslaught of patients at the hospital near the Chinese border, even as he realizes he is ill prepared for such a situation. In these intervening years between the French and American wars in Vietnam, Sal, René, and Quinn soon realize that only one thing is guaranteed in this new chapter: uncertainty.
In this compelling sequel, redemption, love, and premonitions surround 1954 Vietnam as three survivors of Dien Bien Phu attempt to move forward into the unknown.
About the author
Peter R. Brumlik immigrated from England to the United States as a child, eventually appearing in numerous Broadway productions culminating in the Tony Award winning "Inherit the Wind." He enlisted in the air force and served three combat tours in Vietnam and Southeast Asia. He earned his PhD while serving his country and eventually retired after twenty years of active duty. Currently, he teaches history and the humanities at the University of Colorado. This is his third novel.
