I read A Hundred Suns by Karin Tanabe in the dark days of January, to transport me to Vietnam of the 1930s, having loved travelling in the country around fifteen years ago, and as I always enjoy reading about this era of colonial history.

The book centres around husband and wife Jessie and Victor Lesage. Jessie is an American by birth, who has managed to drag herself up from an upbringing in poverty and chaos to re-model herself as the perfect wife of a Frenchman who is part of the Michelin family. Tricking him into marrying her through a whirlwind love affair that results in her captivating him and getting pregnant, she suggests they have a fresh start in Vietnam, so that Victor can make an impression in the family rubber business and they can bring up their child with some distance from his family and her past.

Fresh off the boat, Jessie finds herself caught up in the freedom fight for Vietnam, through her friendship with Marcelle, whose deviousness nearly brings Jessie’s downfall, but results in opening her eyes to the horrors of the Michelin business and its exploitation of the people of Vietnam.

This is a great read on multiple levels – it is a fascinating part of history, captivating in its portrayal of the ex-pat lifestyle of the time, and psychologically complex, as its characters are forced to confront their choices.