This is a book recommendation episode. In it, Travis and Amanda will attempt to persuade you, our wonderful listeners, to join us for a literary journey. Expect this episode to be under 30 minutes long, include references to the work but not spoilers, and celebrate what makes it compelling.
This book recommendation is for The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen. From the cover: “With the pace and suspense of a thriller and prose that has been compared to Graham Greene and Saul Bellow, The Sympathizer is a sweeping epic of love and betrayal. The narrator, a communist double agent, is a ‘man of two minds,’ a half-French, half-Vietnamese army captain who arranges to come to America after the Fall of Saigon, and while building a new life with other Vietnamese refugees in Los Angeles is secretly reporting back to his communist superiors in Vietnam. The Sympathizer is a blistering exploration of identity and America, a gripping espionage novel, and a powerful story of love and friendship.”