A review by anatomydetective
The Headmaster's Wager by Vincent Lam

5.0

I often find myself thinking that no matter how much I read about historical events, part of me doesn't grasp them emotionally until I read a well-crafted novel set during that time. Though I was familiar with the events of the Vietnam War, my knowledge of day-to-day life and the political climates of the period were mainly restricted to what went on in the United States.The vicissitudes of the Vietnamese situation in the 60s and 70s are examined in this particularly well-plotted novel. The characters were very real; they were not black and white, each character had flaws, questionable motivations, and made mistakes. The stellar plotting and characterization in this novel allows me to forgive an occasional awkward sentence, and overall the writing was quite polished. Without giving any spoilers, I have to note that the ending left me gutted and in need of a fluffy comfort read, much like the ending of A.S. Byatt's The Children's Book, which also examines the devastations of war.