Fairy Tales from War Stories

One of my personal goals has long been to work abroad in an orphanage, so when I read the description of John Shor’s latest novel, a story of two Americans working to run a Vietnamese orphanage, I had a pretty good feeling I would like it. I wasn’t disappointed. However, you don’t have to be suffering from a permanent sense of wanderlust like myself to appreciate Shor’s combination war story and fairy tale. Here are the stats:
Title: Dragon House
Author: John Shors
Publisher: NAL Trade
Publishing Date: 2009
My start date: 6/27/10
My finish date: 6/30/10

Having spent a number of years himself wandering about Asia, Shors is no stranger to the delicious and delightful cultures that one can find in Southeast Asia, particularly when one ventures off the standard tourist trail. His experiences lend a great degree of realism and believability to his story. The very fact that Shors is able to describe Vietnam so truthfully, referencing real hotels and tourist sites and accurately depicting the plight of the country’s people in all of their shades, from poor to fiercely proud, is what lends this novel its gritty edge. The reality of life for Vietnam’s poverty stricken, particularly the old and the young, is laid bare for all to see in a way that is wrenchingly vulnerable. The residue from years of war is not whitewashed over and the destruction that happened, often at the hands of Americans is not hidden.
However, the blunt realism of this post-war story is breathtakingly woven together with the soft-edged hope of a fairy tale. Far from being off-putting, this novel takes the gritty truth, lifts it up and dusts it off, blurring the edges and coaxing forth the exotic and the beautiful.

Despite the dirt, the colors in this novel are vibrant and the reader can almost smell and taste the food and salty air described. And these characters, while real and often pitiable, are those classic figures of fairy tales: good guys, bad guys, reluctant heroes and most of all, phoenixes.

I loved the characters so much. The children, especially, get into your mind and heart. I wanted to immediately fly out to Vietnam and take care of them. Most of the main characters are very well developed and make the real jewels of the novel.

That being said, there are a few parts of the novel that get a little cliché or cheesy. The ending in particular waxes melodramatic and can be rather predictable. If I could change or challenge anything, it would really only be those last, maybe forty pages. If that is the sort of thing that bothers you, consider this still a great beach read. However, I thought the rest of the novel more than made up for a cheesy ending and I absolutely loved it.

As an added benefit, Shors uses some of his proceeds to help actual children’s programs in Vietnam. Don’t you love it when you can do good just by reading! Bonus!

Until next time!
Keep reading!
Sarah