A Love Story about a Vietnamese
Banyan Tree Twenty Years in the Making
by Mark W Sasse
It’s a love story. It’s an adventure. It’s set in Vietnam in
two different time periods. And it’s releasing soon.
My third novel, The
Reach of the Banyan Tree, is very much a journey of discovery, much like that
which my family set out upon in August of 1994. We moved to Vietnam to teach
English not knowing that we would stay there for ten years and not knowing how
those experiences would be seared forever into our minds and souls.
An extended cross-cultural trip will either eat you alive or
change you from the inside out. I’ve seen it happen both ways in peoples’
lives. Luckily, it was the latter for me and that eventually propelled me into
an unexpected career as an indie author.
When in Vietnam, my child went to Vietnamese school and
learned songs about Ho Chi Minh. Yes, it was rather bizarre for an American
family, but we learned to bridge prejudices and come to love the Vietnamese
people and their wonderful culture. I learned the language and dove deeply into
the fascinating history of Vietnam – especially that of the 20th century.
In my readings I stumbled across the fascinating story of
the American O.S.S. team which in 1945 parachuted into what we know as northern
Vietnam to help train the Viet Minh rebels in their fight against the Japanese.
I thought it would be such an interesting jumping-off point for a novel.
As 2002 rolled around, I decided to write that novel. I had
an idea about the opening scene and I wrote a page and half until I quit in
disgust. I just couldn’t do it. I remember thinking that I would never be good
enough to finish this novel or any novel. So I let it sit, and my writing
career came to quick end.
In 2006, I moved to Malaysia and started teaching at an
international school. The following year I ended up getting involved in the
drama program and writing scripts with students which they then would produce
for the stage. By 2009 I had written a drama called “Spy Blue” which started
out in Vietnam. Then when I turned it into a novella the following spring, I
finally decided that perhaps I could write a novel. In the summer of 2011 I
completed my debut novel – Beauty Rising,
and yes, it’s about Vietnam.
Finally, in the summer of 2013, I decided to pick up that
abandoned novel from 2002. It quickly
developed into what I call “My Last Great Vietnam Novel” probably because it
says everything I wanted to say about my love for Vietnam.
It incorporates the fascinating history of 1945 with that of
young professional trying to make a difference in modern day Vietnam. At heart
it is a love story that has the legs of an adventure and the depth of a piece
of literary fiction. But it isn’t stuffy. It’s extremely accessible, fast
paced, and unexpected.
It’s everything I ever envisioned for this novel and nothing
I ever expected when I first arrived in Vietnam in 1994.
I’m very proud to announce the release of The Reach of the Banyan Tree. It is
releasing in paperback and Kindle on July 1st. I’d be honored if you give it a
try.
