Rated of 5
by Marion T. (Palatine, IL) The Man from Saigon
Growing up in the Vietnam era with the graft film on TV every evening, and the pictures in every magazine, I was looking forward to reading this book. Though I found the characters very one dimensional, I was pulled into this book by the descriptions of Vietnam both Saigon and the jungle. It was well worth the read to understand the life that was going on during those years. I think this would be a great book club selection.
Rated of 5
by Linda C. (Carlisle, MA) The Man From Saigon
From the very first paragraph I was harshly pulled into the world of the Vietnam war. With an incredible ability to enable the reader the experience every setting to the fullest, Marti Leimbach bombarded all of my senses. Because of these details, I was masterfully drawn into every experience in this surrealistic setting of war. It was a story of relationships and humanity fitting into a war zone. Relationships were filled with mystery and intrigue that come and go within the constant that is war. It is a war novel that a woman can experience in a way most don't achieve. An excellent read that keeps the reader riveted!
Rated of 5
by Beth G. (Aventura, Fl) Amazingly strong woman
Leimbach takes you to the jungles of Vietnam and by the time you've read this book you have the feeling of having been there. I appreciate the research that went into this. Her characters are sympathetic and their relationships very complex and she weaves their stories and outcomes well
Rated of 5
by Jenny P. (Cupertino, CA) Man from Saigon
I was very excited to read this book set in Vietnam because being English, the war in Vietnam seemed very remote to me, I was quite young when it started and knew very little about it. I have visited Vietnam in the last few years and the author perfectly captured the chaotic atmosphere of Saigon and the cloying humidity of the jungle. I found the flashbacks and sudden changes of narrator somewhat disorienting: perhaps this was what the author intended ? The three main characters were very well drawn although I would have liked to know more about the Vietnamese photographer, Hoang Van Son. The latter part of the book which focuses on the forced march through the jungle was gripping and I did not want to put the book down. Well worth a read. I think this would be a great book group book.
Rated of 5
by Lorraine R. (Southampton, New York) The Man From Saigon
It is unusual to read a war novel about a female reporter. The author successfully relates a very difficult and sad time in American history through the perspective of a female. Many books have been written about this period through the eyes of the soldiers, such as the Things they Carried by Tim O'Brien, and this is a refreshing change from the war novel genre. This is well-written and thoughtful literature. It would be good book club novel to be read in conjunction with other Vietnam war novels.
Rated of 5
by Barbara B. (New Bern, NC) I loved this book.
I loved “The Man from Saigon” by Marti Leimbach. I would highly recommend reading this book. I enjoyed reading the story because it was about the Vietnam War which I know very little about. The story is about a gutsy, quirky female correspondent in Vietnam who was not afraid to go the front line. It is also a love story and the many effects the war has on everyone involved. The main characters are Susan Gifford one of the first few woman correspondents in Vietnam in 1967. Marc Davis, Susan’s lover, a TV reporter, married, and has been in Vietnam too long. Our third colorful and mysterious character and part of the love triangle is Son, who is a Vietnamese photographer who became Susan’s partner, companion, interpreter and as the story goes, her protector. When Susan and Son are captured by three young Viet Cong, we see how courageous Susan is, how mysterious Son is and how the hardship of war and his love for Susan have affected Marc.
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of 5
by Marion T. (Palatine, IL) 
of 5
by Linda C. (Carlisle, MA) 
