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Palace Dog
In April 1975, as the government in Saigon is falling, Michael Andrews prepares to make his way back to Vietnam to find the love he was forced to leave.
But Michael’s journey begins four years earlier. He joins the Air Force to keep out of the Army and out of Vietnam, but his first assignment is teaching English in Saigon to members of the Vietnamese military in an Army program called Palace Dog.
As an artist, and a man, before his time in Vietnam, Michael found life lonely and unsatisfying. In the midst of war, Michael searches for direction and meaning. He ultimately finds love and hope with Thao, a young Vietnamese art student, only to have their already uncertain future wrenched from them when he is pulled out of the country.
For Michael, his return in 1975 is inevitable and without question, though the outcome he hopes for is anything but assured.
But Michael’s journey begins four years earlier. He joins the Air Force to keep out of the Army and out of Vietnam, but his first assignment is teaching English in Saigon to members of the Vietnamese military in an Army program called Palace Dog.
As an artist, and a man, before his time in Vietnam, Michael found life lonely and unsatisfying. In the midst of war, Michael searches for direction and meaning. He ultimately finds love and hope with Thao, a young Vietnamese art student, only to have their already uncertain future wrenched from them when he is pulled out of the country.
For Michael, his return in 1975 is inevitable and without question, though the outcome he hopes for is anything but assured.
206 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 27, 2015
1 person is currently reading
68 people want to read
About the author
R.E. Nelson
2 books3 followersI was born in Texas and raised in Southern California. I have been writing for as long as I can remember. One of my earliest recollections related to writing was winning an essay contest in sixth grade--something patriotic about the American flag. When I travel, my preference is staying in select areas for an extended period of time and learning about that place. I have lived in both Vietnam (twice, actually) and Saudi Arabia, and also spent time in Egypt, South Korea, Shanghai (my only China visit thus far), and Dubai. Now I am happy to call San Francisco home.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
September 25, 2015
The Vietnam War era was an intense period in American history, both for those who served overseas and for those who remained at home. And yet, if I was going to find one phrase to describe this story, it might be low-key. Some important events happen, but this is not an anguished war novel or an angry protest novel. Michael is serving in the American Air Force, posted in Vietnam, but he's assigned behind the lines, in Saigon, as an English teacher for some South Vietnamese military. This is his tale of self-discovery.
The story is imbued with the feel of Saigon, the sights and sounds, and the rhythms of both the Vietnamese city and Michael's military base. In the hot, rainy, densely-populated city, Michael slowly moves toward an understanding of his own sexuality, his emotional needs, and his reactions to the young men around him. His relationship with the young Vietnamese man, Thao, is very slow burn - so slow that if the story didn't open with a frame two years later with Thao central to it, one might wonder for a long time who Micheal was going to end up with. The first half of the story is travelogue, historical exposition, and slow self-awareness, very readable, sometimes fascinating, but not emotional.
As the story moves along, the emotional content does ramp up. The love story begins to take shape, and there is tension and expectation. With memories of the fall of Saigon in mind, the events in the book have an underlying note of risk and impermanence that makes them feel more intense. And yet, even as the press of history ramps up in the events, this story doesn't really become angsty. I worried about Thao and some of the secondary characters, and read straight through the last third to see what would happen to each of them. But when I closed the book it was the atmosphere, the history, the geography that left the strongest impact.
This is a well-written, slow-building look at a place and an era many Americans are no longer familiar with. Well worth a read, if you don't mind taking a slow and winding road to love, where the scenery and the context are equal players with the romance in the story.
The story is imbued with the feel of Saigon, the sights and sounds, and the rhythms of both the Vietnamese city and Michael's military base. In the hot, rainy, densely-populated city, Michael slowly moves toward an understanding of his own sexuality, his emotional needs, and his reactions to the young men around him. His relationship with the young Vietnamese man, Thao, is very slow burn - so slow that if the story didn't open with a frame two years later with Thao central to it, one might wonder for a long time who Micheal was going to end up with. The first half of the story is travelogue, historical exposition, and slow self-awareness, very readable, sometimes fascinating, but not emotional.
As the story moves along, the emotional content does ramp up. The love story begins to take shape, and there is tension and expectation. With memories of the fall of Saigon in mind, the events in the book have an underlying note of risk and impermanence that makes them feel more intense. And yet, even as the press of history ramps up in the events, this story doesn't really become angsty. I worried about Thao and some of the secondary characters, and read straight through the last third to see what would happen to each of them. But when I closed the book it was the atmosphere, the history, the geography that left the strongest impact.
This is a well-written, slow-building look at a place and an era many Americans are no longer familiar with. Well worth a read, if you don't mind taking a slow and winding road to love, where the scenery and the context are equal players with the romance in the story.
February 15, 2023
What an interesting and lovely story! 1970s MM historical romances are rare anyway but Vietnam War ones are even more rare, which is why this one intrigued me. But what made it even more unique is that the author used the war and Vietnam in ways that typical stories set during the war wouldn’t. I also loved the MCs and their romance. Unfortunately, the first half felt like gay fiction instead of gay romance and there were numerous narrative choices that the author made which I felt took away from the emotional potential of the story, which is why I settled on only 3 stars.
One of the things I loved about this story is that Vietnam is basically a third main character in it. The author had lived in Vietnam and his love for the country and its people is made so clear throughout the story. In my opinion, this story isn’t really about the Vietnam War but it’s a love letter to the country as a whole. The author did this by using the Vietnam War as a backdrop but he never made it be the main focus of the story. Michael might be part of the US military but his job is to teach English to Vietnamese military personnel while living in Saigon. The city remained untouched by the war until the very end so life for Michael, the other US soldiers and the Vietnamese living in Saigon was the same as it would be without the war happening. There are small reminders here and there that the country is at war and that horrible things are happening just a few dozen miles away, but the majority of the characters didn’t care.
I think the author did this because having the story include the interesting dynamic between the Vietnamese people and the US military during that time provided lots of angst potential for the story. But at the same time, the author clearly wanted to write a story that showcased Vietnam as it truly is, instead of a war story and he put certain things into place that made this work. Using Saigon as the setting, having Michael’s job include very few military duties and having Michael love life in Saigon all helped to achieve this. But at the same time, it never felt as if Michael was being naive or disrespectful to the many soldiers and Vietnamese who were fighting in the jungle in horrific conditions. He never wanted to be part of the war and when he was drafted against his will, he specifically chose to join the Air Force, hoping that would keep him in the US. Ironically, he’s ‘loaned out’ to the Army to be one of their English teachers in Saigon, which Michael isn’t happy with. But deserting isn’t an option for him (not due to patriotism but rather because Michael thinks he won’t be able to get away with it) so he goes to Vietnam unwillingly and does his duties as required but he never openly supports what the US is doing in Vietnam. He essentially takes an ‘out of sight, out of mind’ approach to the fighting and since that’s the same attitude the majority of Vietnamese living in Saigon have, Michael fits in very well.
One of the things I liked in the story is that the first half heavily focuses on Michael exploring Saigon and falling in love with Vietnam and the culture he finds himself part of. The author did such a fantastic job of portraying 1970s Vietnam (a lot of which is very similar to how things are in Vietnam today), describing the sights, sounds and smells that Michael encounters. He interacts with tons of different people and while the author makes it clear that this culture is completely new to him and he sometimes feels overwhelmed, him finding comfort in the sticky, humid, loud chaos that is Saigon felt very real to me. The point where I knew the author had been successful with his mission was when Michael went to the US for a short leave and the entire time, Michael and I were both missing the sights/sounds/etc of Saigon that we had become so accustomed to. This is even more impressive because I’ve been to Vietnam and the constant humidity, noise and chaos were way too much for me so the fact that I actually missed them means I had connected so strongly with Michael’s love for Vietnam that it overrode my own personal feelings. That tells you that the author did a great job establishing the setting.
Another part of this that I liked were the many side characters who all played important roles in the story. Michael has two military buddies who he spends the most time with and the author used both characters to explore two common pathways that the US military guys went down: . In addition, the author cleverly used Michael’s job as a teacher to bring about introducing him to Thao and also Thao’s family. There were other important characters, such as Michael’s landlady and one of the hustlers/pimps who Michael kept crossing paths with. All of these characters added so much life and depth to life in Saigon and the story as a whole. In particular, I loved that . The blending of the US military personnel with the Vietnamese characters was done really well and I loved all of them. This paid off in a huge way at the very end of the story during the US military’s frantic leaving of Saigon. The entire situation was incredibly tense and I cried at the end because I got so emotional over how everything went.
I also liked Michael and Thao as a couple. I was initially worried that there would be an age gap but Michael and Thao are essentially the same age. In addition, they’re both quiet guys and they both love to draw so it was adorable having them bond over art. I also found it really interesting that Thao defers to Michael for most of the story purely because he’s a foreigner but once they start having sex, it turns out that Michael has never had penetrative sex before (either as a top or bottom) but Thao has and him taking control during sex finally puts them on an even playing field. I loved how this small change made Thao more comfortable with their relationship.
Unfortunately, having the first half focus so much on Michael’s relationship with Saigon meant that his relationship with Thao gets put on the backburner for much of that. They do meet early in the story but both of them being shy and awkward around each other meant no meaningful bonding took place. Then the author switches focus and for several chapters, Thao isn’t present. Not only did this annoy me but there are several scenes of Michael having sex with both random men and women and while many encounters don’t reach...uhm...completion, they do get described in more detail than I wanted or needed.
It isn’t until the 60% mark that Thao finally re-appears and that’s when the story really takes off. From then on, the author’s full attention is on the romance and things go really well, but fair warning: the romance remains a slow burn. So yes, things progress at a snails pace. They do eventually get together and I did like the pacing of their relationship, but I wish the author would have cut out some of the Thao-is-MIA parts and shifted the progress of the relationship earlier. The reason why is because the last 30% of the story skips over a lot of stuff that I would have wanted to see. One example was . Another example was the sex scenes. You remember I said that many of Michael’s sexual encounters with strangers were described in detail up until Michael changes his mind? Well, every single one of Michael and Thao’s sex scenes are fade to black. This was a big disappointment.
But the most disappointing example of something being skipped over is how Michael and Thao’s separation was dealt with.
Another issue I had with the book is that it’s entirely from Michael’s POV. This didn’t work for me because both he and Thao are quiet guys who don’t often discuss their feelings and opinions. In addition, Thao’s English was quite limited at the start of the book. When combined, this meant that Thao was a quiet mystery for the majority of the story. Like I said – at 62%, Michael still doesn’t have any idea if Thao is actually interested in him or not. It turns out later that Thao was interested the entire time, but readers didn’t get to see any of that because of how closed off he is. Once Thao and Michael get together in the last quarter of the book, Thao is a lot more talkative and I felt I finally got to know him but I feel the book would have been much more interesting if we had Thao’s POV the entire way through. Not only would this have made Thao a more interesting character but it would have added more tension and pining to the slow burn romance and most importantly, it would have made the story even more well rounded. As much as Michael loved and respected Vietnam, I really wanted to know what some of the Vietnamese side characters thought about Michael and other situations but we didn't get any of that because we're stuck with Michael the entire time.
Overall, I do highly recommend this unique historical romance. Even though some things could have been done differently to make the story even better than it was, it’s still a very interesting read and I enjoyed it a lot.
One of the things I loved about this story is that Vietnam is basically a third main character in it. The author had lived in Vietnam and his love for the country and its people is made so clear throughout the story. In my opinion, this story isn’t really about the Vietnam War but it’s a love letter to the country as a whole. The author did this by using the Vietnam War as a backdrop but he never made it be the main focus of the story. Michael might be part of the US military but his job is to teach English to Vietnamese military personnel while living in Saigon. The city remained untouched by the war until the very end so life for Michael, the other US soldiers and the Vietnamese living in Saigon was the same as it would be without the war happening. There are small reminders here and there that the country is at war and that horrible things are happening just a few dozen miles away, but the majority of the characters didn’t care.
I think the author did this because having the story include the interesting dynamic between the Vietnamese people and the US military during that time provided lots of angst potential for the story. But at the same time, the author clearly wanted to write a story that showcased Vietnam as it truly is, instead of a war story and he put certain things into place that made this work. Using Saigon as the setting, having Michael’s job include very few military duties and having Michael love life in Saigon all helped to achieve this. But at the same time, it never felt as if Michael was being naive or disrespectful to the many soldiers and Vietnamese who were fighting in the jungle in horrific conditions. He never wanted to be part of the war and when he was drafted against his will, he specifically chose to join the Air Force, hoping that would keep him in the US. Ironically, he’s ‘loaned out’ to the Army to be one of their English teachers in Saigon, which Michael isn’t happy with. But deserting isn’t an option for him (not due to patriotism but rather because Michael thinks he won’t be able to get away with it) so he goes to Vietnam unwillingly and does his duties as required but he never openly supports what the US is doing in Vietnam. He essentially takes an ‘out of sight, out of mind’ approach to the fighting and since that’s the same attitude the majority of Vietnamese living in Saigon have, Michael fits in very well.
One of the things I liked in the story is that the first half heavily focuses on Michael exploring Saigon and falling in love with Vietnam and the culture he finds himself part of. The author did such a fantastic job of portraying 1970s Vietnam (a lot of which is very similar to how things are in Vietnam today), describing the sights, sounds and smells that Michael encounters. He interacts with tons of different people and while the author makes it clear that this culture is completely new to him and he sometimes feels overwhelmed, him finding comfort in the sticky, humid, loud chaos that is Saigon felt very real to me. The point where I knew the author had been successful with his mission was when Michael went to the US for a short leave and the entire time, Michael and I were both missing the sights/sounds/etc of Saigon that we had become so accustomed to. This is even more impressive because I’ve been to Vietnam and the constant humidity, noise and chaos were way too much for me so the fact that I actually missed them means I had connected so strongly with Michael’s love for Vietnam that it overrode my own personal feelings. That tells you that the author did a great job establishing the setting.
Another part of this that I liked were the many side characters who all played important roles in the story. Michael has two military buddies who he spends the most time with and the author used both characters to explore two common pathways that the US military guys went down: . In addition, the author cleverly used Michael’s job as a teacher to bring about introducing him to Thao and also Thao’s family. There were other important characters, such as Michael’s landlady and one of the hustlers/pimps who Michael kept crossing paths with. All of these characters added so much life and depth to life in Saigon and the story as a whole. In particular, I loved that . The blending of the US military personnel with the Vietnamese characters was done really well and I loved all of them. This paid off in a huge way at the very end of the story during the US military’s frantic leaving of Saigon. The entire situation was incredibly tense and I cried at the end because I got so emotional over how everything went.
I also liked Michael and Thao as a couple. I was initially worried that there would be an age gap but Michael and Thao are essentially the same age. In addition, they’re both quiet guys and they both love to draw so it was adorable having them bond over art. I also found it really interesting that Thao defers to Michael for most of the story purely because he’s a foreigner but once they start having sex, it turns out that Michael has never had penetrative sex before (either as a top or bottom) but Thao has and him taking control during sex finally puts them on an even playing field. I loved how this small change made Thao more comfortable with their relationship.
Unfortunately, having the first half focus so much on Michael’s relationship with Saigon meant that his relationship with Thao gets put on the backburner for much of that. They do meet early in the story but both of them being shy and awkward around each other meant no meaningful bonding took place. Then the author switches focus and for several chapters, Thao isn’t present. Not only did this annoy me but there are several scenes of Michael having sex with both random men and women and while many encounters don’t reach...uhm...completion, they do get described in more detail than I wanted or needed.
It isn’t until the 60% mark that Thao finally re-appears and that’s when the story really takes off. From then on, the author’s full attention is on the romance and things go really well, but fair warning: the romance remains a slow burn. So yes, things progress at a snails pace. They do eventually get together and I did like the pacing of their relationship, but I wish the author would have cut out some of the Thao-is-MIA parts and shifted the progress of the relationship earlier. The reason why is because the last 30% of the story skips over a lot of stuff that I would have wanted to see. One example was . Another example was the sex scenes. You remember I said that many of Michael’s sexual encounters with strangers were described in detail up until Michael changes his mind? Well, every single one of Michael and Thao’s sex scenes are fade to black. This was a big disappointment.
But the most disappointing example of something being skipped over is how Michael and Thao’s separation was dealt with.
Another issue I had with the book is that it’s entirely from Michael’s POV. This didn’t work for me because both he and Thao are quiet guys who don’t often discuss their feelings and opinions. In addition, Thao’s English was quite limited at the start of the book. When combined, this meant that Thao was a quiet mystery for the majority of the story. Like I said – at 62%, Michael still doesn’t have any idea if Thao is actually interested in him or not. It turns out later that Thao was interested the entire time, but readers didn’t get to see any of that because of how closed off he is. Once Thao and Michael get together in the last quarter of the book, Thao is a lot more talkative and I felt I finally got to know him but I feel the book would have been much more interesting if we had Thao’s POV the entire way through. Not only would this have made Thao a more interesting character but it would have added more tension and pining to the slow burn romance and most importantly, it would have made the story even more well rounded. As much as Michael loved and respected Vietnam, I really wanted to know what some of the Vietnamese side characters thought about Michael and other situations but we didn't get any of that because we're stuck with Michael the entire time.
Overall, I do highly recommend this unique historical romance. Even though some things could have been done differently to make the story even better than it was, it’s still a very interesting read and I enjoyed it a lot.
April 12, 2015
This is not only a fascinating look into Vietnamese culture as seen by an American soldier who ends up teaching English in Vietnam, but also a great love story. The pace is slow, which allowed me to soak up all the details of the setting and people, and the emotions between Michael and Thao are deep. Considering the time and place of their romance, a lot of things are said between the lines (they have to be), and that is exactly the atmosphere the author managed to capture. While both men are passionate about each other, you won’t find them screaming it from the rooftops – what you will find is a slow-burning romance that deepens into a love that will not be denied.
Michael’s journey begins in 1971, when he is sent to Vietnam – teaching English to members of the Vietnamese military. Not what he wanted or expected to do, but what choice does he have? As soon as he arrives he notices that things are very different in Saigon from what he is used to. His gradual, and very quiet immersion into the Vietnamese culture and his growing understanding of some of the cultural and emotional undercurrents were fascinating and so vivid, I felt as if I stood right next to him. He rediscovers his love of art and that in turn helps him grow closer to Thao.
From the quiet moments between Michael and Thao as they get to know each other before they begin to carefully open up, to the moments with Thao’s family, all the way through the intensity of Michael’s return trip, this book held me spellbound. There is a lot of detail, needed to bring the historical setting alive. At the same time, the cultural aspects are very well done, mostly to be found between the lines. I loved how the author was able to draw sketches of what was going on in my mind. R.E. Nelson showed me the characters, told me what they did and said, and left it up to me to find the meaning behind their actions.
If you like books that will make you think, if different cultures and intercultural relationships are what interest you, and if you’re looking for all of that plus a deeply emotional love story, then you will probably enjoy this novel.
Michael’s journey begins in 1971, when he is sent to Vietnam – teaching English to members of the Vietnamese military. Not what he wanted or expected to do, but what choice does he have? As soon as he arrives he notices that things are very different in Saigon from what he is used to. His gradual, and very quiet immersion into the Vietnamese culture and his growing understanding of some of the cultural and emotional undercurrents were fascinating and so vivid, I felt as if I stood right next to him. He rediscovers his love of art and that in turn helps him grow closer to Thao.
From the quiet moments between Michael and Thao as they get to know each other before they begin to carefully open up, to the moments with Thao’s family, all the way through the intensity of Michael’s return trip, this book held me spellbound. There is a lot of detail, needed to bring the historical setting alive. At the same time, the cultural aspects are very well done, mostly to be found between the lines. I loved how the author was able to draw sketches of what was going on in my mind. R.E. Nelson showed me the characters, told me what they did and said, and left it up to me to find the meaning behind their actions.
If you like books that will make you think, if different cultures and intercultural relationships are what interest you, and if you’re looking for all of that plus a deeply emotional love story, then you will probably enjoy this novel.
March 21, 2015
4 Hearts reviewed by Prime
Reviewed for MM Good Book Reviews
I have to outright say this because even though I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I found myself more drawn to the historical aspects of it concerning the Vietnam War rather than the story of the characters. I don’t think that quite makes sense, because at the same time it was a nice story played out between the main characters, Michael and his long-time love Thao.
This was a hell of an intense read – there were a number of times that I was truly nervous for Michael and Thao. It was the history that drew me into this story. The ending is around right before the Fall of Saigon, which also is an indication that we also get through some real intense modern history and had me thinking of some of the footage that often gets shown and really brought it to life for me.
As I said, I got more out of this in the historical sense, than I did from the actual romance between Michael and Thao. However, I think a little bit more conclusion at the end would have been nice to sufficiently settle my nerves.
I don’t want to go into things too much because going in blind about this one had a great effect on me and I hope that it is the same for others.
I recommend reading this one slowly, because it is intense and it is still reverberating in my mind in the hours since I’ve finished the last page.
Reviewed for MM Good Book Reviews
I have to outright say this because even though I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I found myself more drawn to the historical aspects of it concerning the Vietnam War rather than the story of the characters. I don’t think that quite makes sense, because at the same time it was a nice story played out between the main characters, Michael and his long-time love Thao.
This was a hell of an intense read – there were a number of times that I was truly nervous for Michael and Thao. It was the history that drew me into this story. The ending is around right before the Fall of Saigon, which also is an indication that we also get through some real intense modern history and had me thinking of some of the footage that often gets shown and really brought it to life for me.
As I said, I got more out of this in the historical sense, than I did from the actual romance between Michael and Thao. However, I think a little bit more conclusion at the end would have been nice to sufficiently settle my nerves.
I don’t want to go into things too much because going in blind about this one had a great effect on me and I hope that it is the same for others.
I recommend reading this one slowly, because it is intense and it is still reverberating in my mind in the hours since I’ve finished the last page.
February 28, 2015
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
From my review: "or anyone who remembers the scenes of people scrambling across rooftops to reach the last helicopters and planes taking off as the city falls, the anguish, desperation and sense of betrayal for those left behind felt as strong on those pages as it did the day I watched it happen on the tv. That Nelson was able to make this time in history come alive through a deep love and relationship between two men, Michael and Thao, is quite the achievement and makes this story one for all to read. Palace Dog is haunting, sometimes hard to read, emotionally compelling and its quiet joys will linger long time after you have finished their story. Its one of my highly recommended reads. "
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April 1, 2015
4.5 stars. Full review can be found at The Novel Approach
May 6, 2018
Finding love, finding Thao, and keeping that love
California author R.E. Nelson was born in Texas, raised in Southern California, and now lives in San Francisco. He is a traveler at heart having lived for extended periods of time in both Vietnam and Saudi Arabia.
Love stories that explore areas of possibilities other than the standard boy meets girl may not be a novelty in this age where we finally accept same sex relationships and even marriage, but when an author of Nelson’s caliber is able to construct a richly detailed gay romance that incorporates not only war time commitments but a novel ‘enemy vs. warrior’ passion then we are I a terrain that is fresh and tremendously sensitive and touching.
Michael served in the Air Force in Viet Nam, serving as an English teacher for the Vietnamese military in the Army’s program ‘Palace Dog’ and while there met and fell in love with Vietnamese Thao and in the midst of it all share an apartment in Saigon. Both are artists: both are needy. When Michael’s tour is complete he must leave Vietnam - and Thao – behind.
The Prologue opens in San Francisco. April 5, 1975. I stood in the doorway between my bedroom and the tiny living room, holding a shirt I was just beginning to fold and pack into my suitcase. My eyes focused on the small black-and-white television sitting on the table next to my desk. “Tragedy today in Vietnam, as a C-5A cargo jet carrying more than 100 children crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all on board….” The newscaster spoke in an eerie monotone. I stumbled into the room and eased myself down onto the arm of the couch. “In other news of Vietnam, the South continues to lose ground to forces from the North. More than half of South Vietnam’s territory is now controlled by the North, and forces are now threatening to cut off Highway 4, Saigon’s main link with the agriculturally rich Mekong Delta.”
The story actually begins in 1971 when Michael is dent by the Air Force to Saigon, not to be in combat but to teach English to the Vietnamese. Nelson’s description of wartime Saigon’s tent cities is particularly well described. It is in this milieu that Michael meets Thao an despite seemingly inestimable odds the two fall in love and the book is a love story so special and tender that offering more would be a spoiler. After the war and after Michael returns home to San Francisco he becomes Assistant to the Art Director of a publishing house. But his heart is in Saigon and the journey back to Saigon is an inevitable one.
Beautifully crafted and sensitive to the public opinion of both the Vietnam War and same gender relationship views at the time of the war, this book stands out as one of the better reminiscences of the Vietnam experience. It deserves a wide audience.
California author R.E. Nelson was born in Texas, raised in Southern California, and now lives in San Francisco. He is a traveler at heart having lived for extended periods of time in both Vietnam and Saudi Arabia.
Love stories that explore areas of possibilities other than the standard boy meets girl may not be a novelty in this age where we finally accept same sex relationships and even marriage, but when an author of Nelson’s caliber is able to construct a richly detailed gay romance that incorporates not only war time commitments but a novel ‘enemy vs. warrior’ passion then we are I a terrain that is fresh and tremendously sensitive and touching.
Michael served in the Air Force in Viet Nam, serving as an English teacher for the Vietnamese military in the Army’s program ‘Palace Dog’ and while there met and fell in love with Vietnamese Thao and in the midst of it all share an apartment in Saigon. Both are artists: both are needy. When Michael’s tour is complete he must leave Vietnam - and Thao – behind.
The Prologue opens in San Francisco. April 5, 1975. I stood in the doorway between my bedroom and the tiny living room, holding a shirt I was just beginning to fold and pack into my suitcase. My eyes focused on the small black-and-white television sitting on the table next to my desk. “Tragedy today in Vietnam, as a C-5A cargo jet carrying more than 100 children crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all on board….” The newscaster spoke in an eerie monotone. I stumbled into the room and eased myself down onto the arm of the couch. “In other news of Vietnam, the South continues to lose ground to forces from the North. More than half of South Vietnam’s territory is now controlled by the North, and forces are now threatening to cut off Highway 4, Saigon’s main link with the agriculturally rich Mekong Delta.”
The story actually begins in 1971 when Michael is dent by the Air Force to Saigon, not to be in combat but to teach English to the Vietnamese. Nelson’s description of wartime Saigon’s tent cities is particularly well described. It is in this milieu that Michael meets Thao an despite seemingly inestimable odds the two fall in love and the book is a love story so special and tender that offering more would be a spoiler. After the war and after Michael returns home to San Francisco he becomes Assistant to the Art Director of a publishing house. But his heart is in Saigon and the journey back to Saigon is an inevitable one.
Beautifully crafted and sensitive to the public opinion of both the Vietnam War and same gender relationship views at the time of the war, this book stands out as one of the better reminiscences of the Vietnam experience. It deserves a wide audience.
June 8, 2015
Original Blog Post: Blog Tour, Guest Post, eARC Review & #Giveaway: Palace Dog by R.E. Nelson
Review by: Ray
My Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Reading a novel set in Vietnam automatically becomes painful for any politically aware adult who lived through that era. There were so many contradictions. The country was at war, and men were dying—but the Secretary of Defense kept announcing that we weren’t in Vietnam to win a military victory. We had superior air- and sea-power—but primary military targets in North Vietnam were off-limits. The whole sorry affair affected the collective psyche of this country in a way that was not beneficial.
The story begins with Michael preparing to return to Vietnam. The opening scene is somewhat confused and chaotic, but it’s impossible to tell whether that’s because of careless writing, or because Michael is a confused and somewhat screwed-up individual.
The story is no-less confusing when we flash back to Michael’s experiences in Vietnam four years earlier. The reader is left wondering how this character survived, given the many stupid things he does, and the mistakes he makes. In any case, Michael eventually meets, begins to have sex with, and ultimately falls in love with a Vietnamese national. A man he has to leave behind when he is sent home.
To make a long story short, Michael does find the love of his life when he returns to Asia, and somehow manages to bring him back to America with him.
Along the way, we meet a few secondary characters, who are for the most part, much more interesting that the main character.
The writing in this book is at times awkward and unpolished, but then, so is the character.
The story, despite its flaws, is compelling enough to rate 4 stars, but the writing only merits 2, and that pulls the rating down to 3 stars overall.
Review by: Ray
My Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Reading a novel set in Vietnam automatically becomes painful for any politically aware adult who lived through that era. There were so many contradictions. The country was at war, and men were dying—but the Secretary of Defense kept announcing that we weren’t in Vietnam to win a military victory. We had superior air- and sea-power—but primary military targets in North Vietnam were off-limits. The whole sorry affair affected the collective psyche of this country in a way that was not beneficial.
The story begins with Michael preparing to return to Vietnam. The opening scene is somewhat confused and chaotic, but it’s impossible to tell whether that’s because of careless writing, or because Michael is a confused and somewhat screwed-up individual.
The story is no-less confusing when we flash back to Michael’s experiences in Vietnam four years earlier. The reader is left wondering how this character survived, given the many stupid things he does, and the mistakes he makes. In any case, Michael eventually meets, begins to have sex with, and ultimately falls in love with a Vietnamese national. A man he has to leave behind when he is sent home.
To make a long story short, Michael does find the love of his life when he returns to Asia, and somehow manages to bring him back to America with him.
Along the way, we meet a few secondary characters, who are for the most part, much more interesting that the main character.
The writing in this book is at times awkward and unpolished, but then, so is the character.
The story, despite its flaws, is compelling enough to rate 4 stars, but the writing only merits 2, and that pulls the rating down to 3 stars overall.
April 13, 2015
ThreeandHalfStars
In 1972, a group of drafted US Air Force men with college degrees are deployed to Vietnam to teach English to members of the Vietnamese Armed Forces. Lonely and homesick, Michael ventures into Saigon. When Tuan, a student, takes him home, Michael falls hard for his younger brother Thao. Thao and Michael share a love of art and photography. Slowly, the two men build a relationship that must come to an end when Michael is posted elsewhere.
Nelson shines new light on a war that has faded from memory in the face of more recent conflicts. The sense of place in this story is brilliant; tiny details make the city and the time period come to life beautifully. This Saigon is a complex, confusing place and Nelson’s gay Airman is part of an antiquated military now unfamiliar to us.
The build-up to Michael and Thao’s relationship is long and slow; this is probably very historically accurate, but it doesn’t always make for compelling reading. Likewise, Nelson captures the tedium experienced by the teachers who are caught far from home yet also far from the excitement and fear of battle. Again, this feels very real, but it doesn’t necessarily make for a gripping read.
The ending feels forced. True historical accuracy would make Michael and Thao one of the thousands of couples forcibly separated by the conflict, and Mimi, as the child of an American Airman, would become part of a burgeoning, despised underclass that emerged after the conflict.
But this is a romance. So we take the historical accuracy when it is offered and we suspend our disbelief when we’re told to. What we’re left with is a sweet story of two gentle men caught up in a grizzly, uncontrollable conflict.
I was given this in return for an honest review by Inked Rainbow Reads.
~Sarah
In 1972, a group of drafted US Air Force men with college degrees are deployed to Vietnam to teach English to members of the Vietnamese Armed Forces. Lonely and homesick, Michael ventures into Saigon. When Tuan, a student, takes him home, Michael falls hard for his younger brother Thao. Thao and Michael share a love of art and photography. Slowly, the two men build a relationship that must come to an end when Michael is posted elsewhere.
Nelson shines new light on a war that has faded from memory in the face of more recent conflicts. The sense of place in this story is brilliant; tiny details make the city and the time period come to life beautifully. This Saigon is a complex, confusing place and Nelson’s gay Airman is part of an antiquated military now unfamiliar to us.
The build-up to Michael and Thao’s relationship is long and slow; this is probably very historically accurate, but it doesn’t always make for compelling reading. Likewise, Nelson captures the tedium experienced by the teachers who are caught far from home yet also far from the excitement and fear of battle. Again, this feels very real, but it doesn’t necessarily make for a gripping read.
The ending feels forced. True historical accuracy would make Michael and Thao one of the thousands of couples forcibly separated by the conflict, and Mimi, as the child of an American Airman, would become part of a burgeoning, despised underclass that emerged after the conflict.
But this is a romance. So we take the historical accuracy when it is offered and we suspend our disbelief when we’re told to. What we’re left with is a sweet story of two gentle men caught up in a grizzly, uncontrollable conflict.
I was given this in return for an honest review by Inked Rainbow Reads.
~Sarah
May 22, 2015
*copy provided by author/publisher via Pride Promotions in exchange for an honest review*
I LOVED this book. The author starts the story in 1975, when Micheal "Mike" is leaving home to return to Vietnam to find, and bring home, Thoa, the man he met and fell in love with, while stationed there as a teacher.
The author then takes us back to the year 1971(the year I was born). We follow Mike through the two years he is stationed in Vietnam. We follow his self discovery as he hooks up with strangers, looking for something to satisfy him. Something to fill the void. He finds that in Thoa, but this takes a long time. To say this story is a slow burn is an understatement.
We watch the slow process of these two young men getting to know each other, becoming friends, then falling in love. This was a beautiful and at times heartbreaking story. I felt I was there. The sites, smells and sounds are described in vivid detail. I'll be honest, I'm not a big detail oriented girl, I also like my main characters to be together much sooner than Mile and Thoa were, but I have to say, I was never bored. I never skimmed ahead, or even felt the urge to. This story pulled me in from the first page and held me captivated. I ate up the words of this story like it was my last meal.
Mike and Thoa were both extremely likable characters. I loved their story. They had good chemistry. The sex is alluded to, none of it graphic, but the before and after was sweet and loving. You feel the love between these men.
My only real complaint (well besides the lack of sex, lol), is I wanted to see where they ended up. The story could have used another chapter or two, and maybe an epilogue. Maybe the author will feel generous down the road and write another book/novella for these two men.
Highly recommended!!
I LOVED this book. The author starts the story in 1975, when Micheal "Mike" is leaving home to return to Vietnam to find, and bring home, Thoa, the man he met and fell in love with, while stationed there as a teacher.
The author then takes us back to the year 1971(the year I was born). We follow Mike through the two years he is stationed in Vietnam. We follow his self discovery as he hooks up with strangers, looking for something to satisfy him. Something to fill the void. He finds that in Thoa, but this takes a long time. To say this story is a slow burn is an understatement.
We watch the slow process of these two young men getting to know each other, becoming friends, then falling in love. This was a beautiful and at times heartbreaking story. I felt I was there. The sites, smells and sounds are described in vivid detail. I'll be honest, I'm not a big detail oriented girl, I also like my main characters to be together much sooner than Mile and Thoa were, but I have to say, I was never bored. I never skimmed ahead, or even felt the urge to. This story pulled me in from the first page and held me captivated. I ate up the words of this story like it was my last meal.
Mike and Thoa were both extremely likable characters. I loved their story. They had good chemistry. The sex is alluded to, none of it graphic, but the before and after was sweet and loving. You feel the love between these men.
My only real complaint (well besides the lack of sex, lol), is I wanted to see where they ended up. The story could have used another chapter or two, and maybe an epilogue. Maybe the author will feel generous down the road and write another book/novella for these two men.
Highly recommended!!
October 1, 2015
This is literary fiction, and the romantic storyline develops more slowly than I'm accustomed to in romance. It's a brilliant historical novel that brings the time and place to life, and once the romance gets going, it's an engrossing story.
December 15, 2015
Palace Dog by R.E. Nelson: http://reviews-and-ramblings.dreamwid... 2015 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention (5* from at least 1 judge)
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