The sub-title for The
Five O'Clock Follies is: What's a
Woman Doing Here, Anyway? Well, that was intriguing to me. Theasa Tuohy's
book is a "novel of the press in Vietnam." That, also, caught my
attention since Vietnam had such an impact on our country. It's already gotten
good reviews from well-known authors, as well as Kirkus. Here's my take on it.
I liked it.
It kept me turning pages. The main character, Angela, arrives in Vietnam,
determined to cover the war. She has no
paper behind her. But Angela is determined and strong and resourceful. She is
also a freelancer who steps into a raging war where the male reporters are not
exactly happy about her arrival.
What, for me, made this such a good book is that the author, Tuohy,
focuses on the people, not the war, although the war rages and motivates the
characters. It is the characters who carry the story. Their dedication to
covering the truth, their emotions and feelings, their decisions and
determination. There's even room for a bit of romance in the midst of war.
The author, Theasa Tuohy, has worked for the Associated Press, as well
as five daily newspapers. She is able to
bring the war to the reader's doorstep. The Vietnam war is no longer history.
There are scenes that will stick with you, whether you want them to or not. But
it's not all war. When not out in the war zone, reporters have down time -- and
Tuohy includes those scenes as well. We come to know the characters. They come
to life in our heads. They stick with you after you put the book down.
The book also includes some pictures from the Vietnam war. The Five O'Clock Follies is based on
reality but it is fiction with legs. It'll keep you running from one page to
the next.
I give The Five O'Clock Follies a
rating of Hel-of-a-Time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Disclaimer: The Five O'Clock
Follies was sent to me the Meryl Zegarek Public Relations Company. That did
not influence my review. Even if you lived during the time of the Vietnam War, unless
you were fighting there or reporting from there, you didn't have the
perspective Tuohy presents here in this fiction book. The book is set there …
in the war zone. It doesn't even refer to the protests or arguments raging here
in the States. It shows this time from the reporters' POV, there, in the chaos
and hell. And that's why I gave it a rating of Hel-of-a-Time.
Sounds like an interesting read! I like the fact that the book focuses more on the characters than the war--and that the author's background likely gives the story some real depth and texture.
ReplyDeleteFocusing on the characters was a good idea - more emotional and involving.
ReplyDeleteYou get the feel of the war, definitely, but it's the characters who drive the story.
ReplyDeleteMy father served in Vietnam and it's definitely a different perspective from the inside.
ReplyDeleteIt's all about characters and how they develop for me. A strong sense of place, too, and I suppose a war setting would influence that.
ReplyDeleteAn insider's view can hit home. Sounds like a great book.
ReplyDeleteMorgan Mandel
http://www.morganmandel.com
Looks like an interesting read. Thanks, Hel.
ReplyDeleteSounds fascinating. I'm always impressed by those who can bring a new perspective to an historical topic.
ReplyDeleteAn emotional setting for sure. It sounds fascinating.
ReplyDeletesounds quite interesting, especially a female perspective in Vietnam - don't hear or read much from that angle. I'll have to add it to my long list.
ReplyDeleteThat's what I thought Joanne. A new and interesting angle.
DeleteSounds like a great read. I did some research for my last book on the Vietnam War and the role women had there. One of my characters had been there during that time. It was a very scary and tragic time.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you there, Kathi. Don't think I could have survived. But I guess you never know til you're in the situation.
ReplyDelete