Page 25 - Susan Taylor

To describe the writing in this book as eloquent would
http://www.mulberryfieldsforever.com
be an understatement. C.L. Hoang transports the reader
through time back to war torn Vietnam. His description of
what it was like to be a soldier during this time in history
is poignant. The characters we grow to love throughout
this amazing novel are multidimensional and familiar to the
reader.
A story that begins in present day and then takes us back
through time to go through the trials and tribulations of war,
the loss of friends, the loneliness of leaving your family San Diego
behind, the frustration of not being with loved ones during Woman
momentous occasions is all handled with authenticity and
compassion.
As most writers know, one of the first elements of writing 25
is to ‘write what you know.’ C.L. Hoang knows Vietnam, the
people and the places. His descriptions are rich in history
and customs.
Roger Connors, a childless widower is facing a life chang-
ing experience. He has been diagnosed with cancer and
after going through the loss of his wife to the horror of
breast cancer, he wonders if the deforming surgery and
subsequent sickening treatments post-surgery was worth-
while. When he gets a Cancer diagnosis, he decides that
his wife only held on as long as she did for his benefit. He
now realizes he has no one to hold on for and decides to
let the cancer take its course. That is until a note left by an
old wartime friend makes him question if perhaps there is a
reason to fight.
We relive the relationships Roger forged in Vietnam and the
story slowly unfolds before our eyes, making this novel a
hard book to put down. Despite my lost sleep, I found Once
Upon A Mulberry Field to be one of the best stories I have
read in a long time.
There is something for everyone in this novel. It touches
upon the brotherhood of soldiers and the pain of a challeng-
ing love story. My only moment of disappointment was when
I came to the end, I felt like I was saying goodbye to old
friends and I wanted more. Hopefully C.L. Hoang will treat
us to another wonderful novel.