A BEND IN THE RIVER

By: Libby Fischer Hellmann

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Paperback | 13 July 2020

At a Glance

Paperback
420 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
22.86 x 15.24 x 2.36

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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 sole 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, but Tam'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 crime thrillers, Libby Fischer Hellmann delves into a universal story about survival, family, and the consequences of war.

Industry Reviews

"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, Three Hours in Paris

"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 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

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A BEND IN THE RIVER

At a Glance

Paperback

Industry Reviews

Shipping

How to return your order

Defective items

You Can Find This Book In

More in Sagas

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The Pillars of the Earth

Kingsbridge

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A Column of Fire

Kingsbridge

The Armour of Light

A Page-turning, Epic Kingsbridge Novel from the Bestselling Author of The Pillars of The Earth

The Bell and the Blade

Before We Were Yours

the #1 New York Times bestselling novel of unmissable and powerful family drama

Sapphire Skies

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The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris

Buckeye

The international bestseller: 'It soars' Tom Hanks

The Shadow Sister

Seven Sisters Book 3

The Moon Sister

The Seven Sisters: Book 5

The Pearl Sister

The Seven Sisters: Book 4

The Story Collector

The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny

Shortlisted for the Booker Prize 2025

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Longlisted for the 2024 Miles Franklin Literary Award

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