Liese O'Halloran Schwarz

Three stories come together. Enjoyed.

One of the best books I've read in a while. The whole book has a vivid sense of place, but the parts that take place in Bangkok are particularly so. The characters were also well-drawn, with inner conflicts and growth throughout the novel. I really loved the way the author dealt with writing from the perspective of a person with dementia in one scene.

Laura's family lived in Bangkok when she was a child. Her father was an intelligence officer, though they didn't know that at the time. Her brother disappeared there. Years later out of the blue, someone contacts her saying she has found her brother Phillip. Wow.
Chapters of the book alternate between the present day and 1972, and the stories of various characters.
It's a very troubling book. Most characters are well drawn. There are complicated relationships between characters.

Good story, but so many characters to keep straight, especially when they show up again way later in the book, plus the ending was a little confusing and lacking.