The Zenith (PB) (2013)

Widely considered today's preeminent Vietnamese novelist, Duong Thu Huong has won acclaim for her exceptional lyricism and psychological acumen, as well as for her unflinching portraits of modern Vietnam and its culture and people. In her latest book, she offers a sweeping tale of thwarted love, political intrigue, and treachery that centers on the final months in the life of Ho Chi Minh at an isolated mountain compound where he is imprisoned both physically and emotionally. The Zenith reveals moral truths that continue to reverberate today among those many Americans who still silently live with sadness and regret over the Vietnam War.