I picked up this book to listen to with my husband when Audible had a two for one sale. Taking a break from Charley Davidson, we began The Sympathizer. The book is a unique view on Vietnam during a war that was chaotic, not just in Vietnam, but also in America.

The Captain who is telling the story is parts of memories that he is writing as his confession. During the beginning of the story, when he is being ready to be evacuated to America. He then goes through his life, in America, and back in South Vietnam. Honestly, while I understood that The Captain was a communist, I guess I didn’t understand who he was spying for or why he was considered a sympathizer.

The story overall is well written, and the characters are well developed. While I could have lived without listening about a boy masturbating with a squid, it helped to put just how poor his family was into perspective because the squid was such a special treat. Throughout this part of the story, my husband and I were both gagging imagining the young boy eating what had been described in incredible detail as a sex toy.

Overall, the story was interesting and provided a different view than what is generally offered with stories about Vietnam. While it’s not my favorite book of the year, it was a nice read, with heavy subject matter.