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Message From Nam
As a journalist, Paxton Andrews would experience Vietnam firsthand. We follow her from high school in Savannah to college in Berkeley and then to work in Saigon.
For the soldiers she knew and met there, Viet Nam would change their lives in ways they could never have imagined. For the men in her life, Viet Nam would change their lives in ways hey could not escape or deny. Peter Wilson, fresh from law school, was a new recruit who would confont his fate in Da Nang. Ralph Johnson, a seasoned AP correspondent, had been in Saigon since the beginning. He knew Vietnam and the war inside out. Bill Quinn, captain of the Cu Chi tunnel rats, was on his fourth tour of duty and it seemed nothing could touch him. Sergeant Tony Campobello had come to Vietnam from the streets of New York to vent a rage that had followed him all the way to Saigon.
For seven years Paxton Andrews would write an acclaimed newspaper column from the front before finally returning to the States and then attending the Paris peace talks. But for her and the men who fought in Viet Nam, life would never be the same again.
For the soldiers she knew and met there, Viet Nam would change their lives in ways they could never have imagined. For the men in her life, Viet Nam would change their lives in ways hey could not escape or deny. Peter Wilson, fresh from law school, was a new recruit who would confont his fate in Da Nang. Ralph Johnson, a seasoned AP correspondent, had been in Saigon since the beginning. He knew Vietnam and the war inside out. Bill Quinn, captain of the Cu Chi tunnel rats, was on his fourth tour of duty and it seemed nothing could touch him. Sergeant Tony Campobello had come to Vietnam from the streets of New York to vent a rage that had followed him all the way to Saigon.
For seven years Paxton Andrews would write an acclaimed newspaper column from the front before finally returning to the States and then attending the Paris peace talks. But for her and the men who fought in Viet Nam, life would never be the same again.
417 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 1, 1990
364 people are currently reading
5144 people want to read
About the author
Danielle Steel
911 books16.7k followersDanielle Steel has been hailed as one of the world's bestselling authors, with almost a billion copies of her novels sold. Her many international bestsellers include All That Glitters, Royal, Daddy's Girls, The Wedding Dress, The Numbers Game, Moral Compass, Spy, and other highly acclaimed novels. She is also the author of His Bright Light, the story of her son Nick Traina's life and death; A Gift of Hope, a memoir of her work with the homeless; Expect a Miracle, a book of her favorite quotations for inspiration and comfort; Pure Joy, about the dogs she and her family have loved; and the children's books Pretty Minnie in Paris and Pretty Minnie in Hollywood.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 480 reviews
December 10, 2025
Hey guys, so I know it’s not that late cause it’s only like 2:00 am, but this? This made saying up this late, ABSOLUTELY WORTH IT, cause trust me, I would be snoring by now if it weren’t because of how heartbroken yet invested I was.
Trust me, this is not my first Danielle Steel book and I tend to notice a lot of patterns in her writing, since some of her novels do seem like a copy paste but this? This wasn’t the case. Not in this occasion no.
This is the story of Paxton Andrews, a young woman who’s familiar and personal life hasn’t always been easy ever since she was young after the tragic pass of her father, her cold mother and her unbothered brother, but that has always stood for what is right and that people should know the truth about their situation; the Vietnam war. That is until she enters college to study some journalism, where she meets Peter. A young man who’s perfectly charming and has captivated her heart.
But then he’s called to the lines. And after a few incidents, Paxton decides to go as a war journalist and embrace a journey that will FOREVER change her life.
As always, the thing about Steel’s books is that I feel like the plot can go super slow at times and then immediately go quickly with the most intriguing heart-gripping situations. And this is the clear example of it. The start was kinda boring, slow… too cheesy. But then? Oh. My. Gosh.
The plot itself is good, though of course giving the main character a dysfunctional family is nothing surprising coming from the author along with the insta-love trope because yes, everyone falls in love 3 seconds into meeting someone (that was sarcasm, btw.)
But other than that? I felt somehow educated. I wasn’t really aware of the whole context or story of the Vietnam War and I feel like this book can give you a great perspective from both sides (USA and Vietnam) to start with, along with more information. Of course, I did a bit of research myself because I was invested on the conflict, and I think that means a lot already. This was motivational.
Again, I’m not really into the “Insta-Love” trope, but trust me, things through the story end up creating something unique.
Btw my heartbeat was so fast on the last few pages.
Trust me, this is not my first Danielle Steel book and I tend to notice a lot of patterns in her writing, since some of her novels do seem like a copy paste but this? This wasn’t the case. Not in this occasion no.
This is the story of Paxton Andrews, a young woman who’s familiar and personal life hasn’t always been easy ever since she was young after the tragic pass of her father, her cold mother and her unbothered brother, but that has always stood for what is right and that people should know the truth about their situation; the Vietnam war. That is until she enters college to study some journalism, where she meets Peter. A young man who’s perfectly charming and has captivated her heart.
But then he’s called to the lines. And after a few incidents, Paxton decides to go as a war journalist and embrace a journey that will FOREVER change her life.
As always, the thing about Steel’s books is that I feel like the plot can go super slow at times and then immediately go quickly with the most intriguing heart-gripping situations. And this is the clear example of it. The start was kinda boring, slow… too cheesy. But then? Oh. My. Gosh.
The plot itself is good, though of course giving the main character a dysfunctional family is nothing surprising coming from the author along with the insta-love trope because yes, everyone falls in love 3 seconds into meeting someone (that was sarcasm, btw.)
But other than that? I felt somehow educated. I wasn’t really aware of the whole context or story of the Vietnam War and I feel like this book can give you a great perspective from both sides (USA and Vietnam) to start with, along with more information. Of course, I did a bit of research myself because I was invested on the conflict, and I think that means a lot already. This was motivational.
Again, I’m not really into the “Insta-Love” trope, but trust me, things through the story end up creating something unique.
Btw my heartbeat was so fast on the last few pages.
September 22, 2024
This is a typical Danielle Steel story except for the setting. This is Paxton Andrews' story. The first 162 pp introduces her character, dysfunctional family (what else is new) and desire to get the hell out of Savannah and southern culture. She got into Berkley and off she went to major in journalism. She meets the brother of one of her roommates & despite her resistance falls in love. OK it IS Danielle Steel, so romance is definitely on deck as well as heartache and reinventing oneself. Tragedy accelerates her trajectory and despite having no experience, her desire to cover Vietnam is granted by her editor. This is where the book gets more interesting. But Steel can't let that stop the development of romantic relationships, nor the descriptions of Paxton's beauty and her journalistic talent. It takes away from the grittiness and horror of war and the incredible stories she is there is report on. For me, the book would have been more substantive if the focus was on those stories and how hard it was for the few women journalists who did cover Vietnam (I want to read about those!) The ending was too unbelievable, it almost ruined it for me. So 2.5 stars.
February 26, 2018
This is the best Danielle Steel book I have read. It is powerful and emotional. The story has captured well the dark side of an ugly war which saw to the physical death of millions of and emotional death to an uncountable number. The characters were made so real that I was instantly connected to them, and over the time with number of rereads, they have become a part of me. I'm no Danielle Steel fan, but this great work really touched my heart and will always hold a place there.
March 16, 2019
This book is very emotional from the beginning to the finish... I very seldom read Danielle steel books but this one I like the most...
November 23, 2009
I read this while pregnant with my youngest, and I cried through most of it. Well, about a third of the way through I started crying and didn't stop until the end. Maybe the pregnancy hormones had something to do with it, but I think this would be emotional for anyone to read.
Beautiful characters, heartbreaking yet also heartwarming story. I'd read again.
Beautiful characters, heartbreaking yet also heartwarming story. I'd read again.
July 29, 2012
I haven't read many novels by Danielle Steel, but I have to say that Message From Nam is one of the best books I have read - ever! I liked the plot, the dialogue, the characters were very "real", and it was very well written. It also happens to be one of the saddest stories I have ever read, but absolutely worth reading!
March 13, 2015
"...Remember, friends. . .
Remember. . .
the boys who died,
who lived,
who cried,
The boys
who fought
in Nam."
Message from Nam starts with a poem entitled "The Boys Who Fought in Nam" and from those very first few pages and the powerful message contained in those lines, I was emotionally invested in this book. In reading this book, I gained knowledge about a painful piece of our nation's history that is barely mentioned in American History courses, and the emotions multiplied with every page that I read.
The book touches on many historically significant events of the 1960s-1970s, in addition to the Vietnam war... In fact, it starts with the main character, Paxton Andrews, sitting in a classroom in her high school in Savannah, Georgia on the day John F Kennedy was assassinated. The entire country was grieving at that time due to the loss of the President, and it brought back vivid memories of a time I was sitting in a classroom watching a plane hit the World Trade Center. The same sense of loss, fear, disbelief, and sorrow felt on that day was described as being felt on the day JFK's life was ended in Dallas, on 11/22/63. Message from Nam also touches base on the the continued conflicts regarding the Civil Rights movement and integration. In fact, when Paxton goes to Berkley University in California to pursue a degree in journalism, she is treated poorly by a black classmate who assumes she is racist because of her southern roots. It was a time of protest and demonstration and the nation remained in turmoil as the situation in Vietnam grew more dire and the anti-war movement heated up across the nation... Danielle Steel captured this all so well in just the first third of the book and it was so powerfully done.
Paxton Andrews suffers so many unimaginable losses throughout the course of Message from Nam and I felt each one intensely. She ends up becoming a journalist, and after the war first robs her of a loved one, she goes to Vietnam for answers. There she is haunted by the atrocities of war and a beautiful country stained by death. She sees beggars and small children without limbs, other small children in the streets dealing heroin, and the constant threat of land mines, bombings, or worse. Through a column entitled "Message from Nam", she begins to write articles featuring the hard truth about what was going on in Nam. She is changed irrevocably by her experiences in war torn Vietnam and instead of finding answers, she is forever faced with more questions. Another powerful part of the story is how the soldiers fared during and following the war. It's heartbreaking to think of what so many young American men faced for their country and when they finally got to come home, they no longer felt they belonged. As one soldier tells Paxton in the book, "We leave Vietnam feeling like we're heroes, but when we get home we're treated like criminals".
For the record, Danielle Steel is a popular romance author, but do not ever let anyone fool you into thinking Message from Nam is "just a romance". In fact, the romance felt very secondary to the historical components of the story. There are multiple love stories featured in this book and each one felt real, touched my heart, and broke it too. I cried A LOT while reading this book... but it was so worth it. It's one I won't soon forget.
Remember. . .
the boys who died,
who lived,
who cried,
The boys
who fought
in Nam."
Message from Nam starts with a poem entitled "The Boys Who Fought in Nam" and from those very first few pages and the powerful message contained in those lines, I was emotionally invested in this book. In reading this book, I gained knowledge about a painful piece of our nation's history that is barely mentioned in American History courses, and the emotions multiplied with every page that I read.
The book touches on many historically significant events of the 1960s-1970s, in addition to the Vietnam war... In fact, it starts with the main character, Paxton Andrews, sitting in a classroom in her high school in Savannah, Georgia on the day John F Kennedy was assassinated. The entire country was grieving at that time due to the loss of the President, and it brought back vivid memories of a time I was sitting in a classroom watching a plane hit the World Trade Center. The same sense of loss, fear, disbelief, and sorrow felt on that day was described as being felt on the day JFK's life was ended in Dallas, on 11/22/63. Message from Nam also touches base on the the continued conflicts regarding the Civil Rights movement and integration. In fact, when Paxton goes to Berkley University in California to pursue a degree in journalism, she is treated poorly by a black classmate who assumes she is racist because of her southern roots. It was a time of protest and demonstration and the nation remained in turmoil as the situation in Vietnam grew more dire and the anti-war movement heated up across the nation... Danielle Steel captured this all so well in just the first third of the book and it was so powerfully done.
Paxton Andrews suffers so many unimaginable losses throughout the course of Message from Nam and I felt each one intensely. She ends up becoming a journalist, and after the war first robs her of a loved one, she goes to Vietnam for answers. There she is haunted by the atrocities of war and a beautiful country stained by death. She sees beggars and small children without limbs, other small children in the streets dealing heroin, and the constant threat of land mines, bombings, or worse. Through a column entitled "Message from Nam", she begins to write articles featuring the hard truth about what was going on in Nam. She is changed irrevocably by her experiences in war torn Vietnam and instead of finding answers, she is forever faced with more questions. Another powerful part of the story is how the soldiers fared during and following the war. It's heartbreaking to think of what so many young American men faced for their country and when they finally got to come home, they no longer felt they belonged. As one soldier tells Paxton in the book, "We leave Vietnam feeling like we're heroes, but when we get home we're treated like criminals".
For the record, Danielle Steel is a popular romance author, but do not ever let anyone fool you into thinking Message from Nam is "just a romance". In fact, the romance felt very secondary to the historical components of the story. There are multiple love stories featured in this book and each one felt real, touched my heart, and broke it too. I cried A LOT while reading this book... but it was so worth it. It's one I won't soon forget.
August 24, 2020
Message from Nam! This book has a long history with me. I used to recommend it all the time when I worked in a bookstore and people would come in asking for a romance novel. Message from Nam was by far the best title we had. We moved a lot of copies that way.
When my very good goodreads friend found it at our school's used book sale, my bluff was called and I had to acknowledge that I'd never read it.
I learned a surprising amount of detail about the Viet Cong tunneling system from this book. Who knew!
Now I can recommend this book having read it.
Also: I am reading Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain - I have to say that Message from Nam has the edge. Again, who knew? I love Mark Twain and would be happy read Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn every year. But Life on the Mississippi is all over the place.
March 13, 2021
Nice read and was intriguing enough to keep engaged. I cared about the characters and what happened to them but I lost patience towards the end. This woman has had three intense lover affairs each one making her feel “a way I’ve never felt with anyone before” and seemingly falls desperately in love with every man she meets. Felt the last few chapters were rushed in an effort to tie everything up
In a pretty bow. That said, I read a lot of Danielle Steel when I was younger and this book reminded me how easy her style of writing is to read and I may well read more of her books now.
In a pretty bow. That said, I read a lot of Danielle Steel when I was younger and this book reminded me how easy her style of writing is to read and I may well read more of her books now.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 5, 2021
I keep yoyoing between this being a 2 or 3 star read. I was hooked for the first half and it felt very Virginia Andrews but the second half felt rushed, not thought out and with a lot of annoying repetition of the men she loved and how insanely beautiful she was and how much she stood out from the other correspondents.
October 16, 2011
This story brought to life the awful things that happened over there.Losing my uncle made me want to read this book,I felt like I could understand the lose of so many lives.The ones who came home were never the same,and for those of us too young to live it.I just say thank you.
March 26, 2009
This was my first Danielle Steel novel and it started my collection. I cried all through it and my friends wondered why i couldn't put such a sad book down. It was worth every moment.
January 8, 2019
My favorite book of hers!
October 4, 2021
I don’t remember this one well enough to review. Most of my DS additions here are only remembered to add to the shelf as read, not enough to review properly.
April 23, 2021
"...Remember, friends. . .
Remember. . .
the boys who died,
who lived,
who cried,
The boys
who fought
in Nam. "
This is Danielle Steel at her best,Danielle's earlier novels are much better written and have well-developed plots and characters. Message from Nam is proof of this.
It's November 1963 and Paxton Andrews is a senior in her Savannah high school. Her mother wants her to attend Sweet Briar College. But Paxton has other ideas about where she want to go to college. Choosing the University of California, Berkeley, she moves to California and starts a new life as a journalism student.
Over the next few years, Paxton experiences the turbulence of the late 60s -- the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy, and the Vietnam conflict. After the death of her fiance, Peter, she starts working at his father's newspaper. At her request, she is sent to Vietnam to find out what is going on there.
This book isn't a romance or a silly easy beach read, Message from Nam is an eloquent and really well researched book
Remember. . .
the boys who died,
who lived,
who cried,
The boys
who fought
in Nam. "
This is Danielle Steel at her best,Danielle's earlier novels are much better written and have well-developed plots and characters. Message from Nam is proof of this.
It's November 1963 and Paxton Andrews is a senior in her Savannah high school. Her mother wants her to attend Sweet Briar College. But Paxton has other ideas about where she want to go to college. Choosing the University of California, Berkeley, she moves to California and starts a new life as a journalism student.
Over the next few years, Paxton experiences the turbulence of the late 60s -- the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy, and the Vietnam conflict. After the death of her fiance, Peter, she starts working at his father's newspaper. At her request, she is sent to Vietnam to find out what is going on there.
This book isn't a romance or a silly easy beach read, Message from Nam is an eloquent and really well researched book
February 21, 2009
I actually read this book years ago, but I recently found an old copy of it in a storage bin in the basement and ended up reading it again. I forgot how moving it was. Of course, being a Danielle Steele novel, there's some trashy romance and whatnot, but the bigger story--the story of how war tears apart relationships, love's slow death and then love re-discovered under seemingly impossible circumstances--is very touching. The ending is predictable, but still very sweet.
January 21, 2011
This was a fantastic book. I found it to be a very interesting history of the Vietnam War, along with a wonderful romance novel. This is one of my favorites by Danielle Steel. The story was not predictable, as are many romance novels, and I feel I was not only entertained, but I learned a lot about history. The characters were all very likable. The story seemed so real that I became misty eyed reading it. I heartily recommend reading this one.
March 27, 2023
2.5⭐️ I was obsessed with this book when I was in 8th grade and had to revisit when I found it at a used bookstore. I can definitely see why I would have loved it, though the romance bits and instalove were just too cringey for current me. ☺️ I would have rated it a 3 but that ending was ridic.
April 14, 2025
One of the best books I have ever read and a long time favorite of mine. I try to read it every year and still cry every time. Danielle Steel pulls you in and you can’t help but fall in love with the tragedy, the heartbreak and the beauty of Vietnam.
These Vietnam veterans did not get a welcoming at home & I mourn that often for them. My heart breaks for the trials they endured stateside just as much as what they experienced in country. It’s crazy. I’m thankful for this story!!!
These Vietnam veterans did not get a welcoming at home & I mourn that often for them. My heart breaks for the trials they endured stateside just as much as what they experienced in country. It’s crazy. I’m thankful for this story!!!
July 5, 2025
3.5. It wasn’t a bad book. To me it just seemed predictable after a certain point and almost repetitive too
August 29, 2020
Just when I’m about to toss the stack of Danielle Steel books I bought years ago and never read, I happen upon this one. Like Silent Honor and Wings, which were also related to history and war, this one was really enjoyable and well written. I don’t get it. The last few I’ve read infuriated me and barely deserved a single star. The author says she doesn’t have a ghost writer and writes all of her books, but this one and the other two mentioned above have a different style and read so differently than the others.
This one really had its ups and downs. It had a long stretch of happy, typical romance reading and then there was sadness. I wasn’t prepared for where the book would go from that first downward spiral. Honestly, by the time I got to the end, it was pretty amazing to think about the transformation of Paxton Andrews. She had lived two different lives, all while trying to find herself and get answers to the questions she had about life and its pitfalls.
As a reader, I was a little disappointed at how quickly and how hard she fell for Bill, knowing how much she loved Peter and had grown up during that relationship and how sad she was when he was killed. I truly wasn’t prepared for her to fall in love with and then lose him. I kind of figured that Tony was next, but I wasn’t expecting that to be her great love of the story. To have to lose him for a while just seemed like too much for one person, or even one fictional character, but it still worked.
As usual with Danielle Steel books, I was disappointed with the abrupt end. Why not take another 5-10 pages and reunite Tony with his son and let them have a little happiness. The guy barely makes it into the helicopter before the story ends.
All in all, I really liked this. The usual repetitiveness didn’t bother me and wasn’t as obvious as it was in her other novels. I enjoyed the writing and the storytelling, and I really enjoyed most of the characters. What I appreciated most about this story was that Paxton was a strong female character who could handle anything. It was evident from the start, and she only grew and became stronger as the story progressed. It’s uncommon for Steel books, so I was pleased with that aspect.
Message from Nam is one of my favorites from Steel. I guess I will read a few more before I decide if I finish the stack or not.
This one really had its ups and downs. It had a long stretch of happy, typical romance reading and then there was sadness. I wasn’t prepared for where the book would go from that first downward spiral. Honestly, by the time I got to the end, it was pretty amazing to think about the transformation of Paxton Andrews. She had lived two different lives, all while trying to find herself and get answers to the questions she had about life and its pitfalls.
As a reader, I was a little disappointed at how quickly and how hard she fell for Bill, knowing how much she loved Peter and had grown up during that relationship and how sad she was when he was killed. I truly wasn’t prepared for her to fall in love with and then lose him. I kind of figured that Tony was next, but I wasn’t expecting that to be her great love of the story. To have to lose him for a while just seemed like too much for one person, or even one fictional character, but it still worked.
As usual with Danielle Steel books, I was disappointed with the abrupt end. Why not take another 5-10 pages and reunite Tony with his son and let them have a little happiness. The guy barely makes it into the helicopter before the story ends.
All in all, I really liked this. The usual repetitiveness didn’t bother me and wasn’t as obvious as it was in her other novels. I enjoyed the writing and the storytelling, and I really enjoyed most of the characters. What I appreciated most about this story was that Paxton was a strong female character who could handle anything. It was evident from the start, and she only grew and became stronger as the story progressed. It’s uncommon for Steel books, so I was pleased with that aspect.
Message from Nam is one of my favorites from Steel. I guess I will read a few more before I decide if I finish the stack or not.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 2, 2012
This book was intense, . compelling.
It made me cry.
It was exponentially frustrating and heartwrenching.
It left me emotionally exhausted, and ultimately relieved.
In other words, "Message From Nam" captured perfectly that time and place for which there are no adequate words, the 1960's, Vietnam, and a collision of political and sociocultural events that swept the dreams and hopes and lives and loves of hundreds of thousands of Americans into the storms of war.
It made me cry.
It was exponentially frustrating and heartwrenching.
It left me emotionally exhausted, and ultimately relieved.
In other words, "Message From Nam" captured perfectly that time and place for which there are no adequate words, the 1960's, Vietnam, and a collision of political and sociocultural events that swept the dreams and hopes and lives and loves of hundreds of thousands of Americans into the storms of war.
June 15, 2011
I read this book three times and now have a desire to pick it up yet once again. As a child of the 70's with a brother who served in Nam, this book gave me a glimpse of what it might of been like. If I had only been older, I may of been inspired to follow in Paxton's footsteps to be a photo journalist.
January 8, 2010
This was a really great heart wrenching story.. I loved it.. I would say anyone who knew anyone or was there in Nam to read this... A tale of love won & lost.. How a woman over comes the loss of love & moves on.. Please read this book.. I recommend it to everyone..
July 27, 2011
By far this is one of her best books. It will make you laugh and cry and all around put you on an emotional rollercoaster. It's full of love and very touching. An awesome read.
October 13, 2022
DNF - I only got the book because a Vietnam vet I know recommended it, probably for something that happens at page 300. I’ll never know. Just about any old trash book can grab me for 100 pages, but Danielle Steele is a special author because at page 75 I lost all fortitude. What did it for me was the racial stereotypes followed by tropes followed by gross racist statements. It honestly was claiming to be against racism while ironically being the most racist book I ever almost-read. This book is bonafide trash.
January 30, 2024
This book and author was so much more than I thought. I'm really impressed with the story and the coverage of Vietnam. I love reading historical fiction and then getting to research alongside the book.
May 20, 2017
review to follow xxx
June 28, 2017
I na exkurzi do světa Danielle Steel jsem se vypravil..;-) 60. léta, od smrti JFK po hippies až válku ve Vietnamu...
August 16, 2024
While not quite as good a war book as “Gone With the Wind” nor “The Red Badge of Courage,” “Message From Nam,” with its depth and carnage (and excellent dramatic ending), is the best Danielle Steel novel I’ve read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 480 reviews