I’m so pleased to be welcoming Ann Bennett to Novel Kicks and the blog blitz for her book, Mandarin Road.

A gripping, emotional saga of family secrets and the power of love, set during the Vietnam War…

North Carolina, 2015: Nicole has always idolised her successful father, Ed. But on his deathbed, he reveals a devastating secret he’d guarded for a lifetime. He served in the Vietnam War, fell in love, and fathered a child there. A child he never had the courage to acknowledge.

Huế, South Vietnam, 1968: While her village is rocked by the explosions of the Tet offensive, seventeen-year-old Mai finds a wounded American hiding in her family’s chicken shed. Mai faces an agonising choice. Will she report the soldier to the Viet Cong, who have a stranglehold on the village, or will she risk her life and that of her family to help him?

In 2015, Nicole embarks on a journey into the unknown, travelling to Vietnam on a quest to uncover her father’s long-buried truths. Helped by Greig, an ageing Vietnam vet and his journalist son, Long, she delves into the shocking world her father wanted to forget, plumbing depths of resilience and courage she never knew she possessed.

Will Nicole find her long-lost sister, or will the Vietnam War guard its shameful secrets for ever?

If you are a fan of page-turning, emotional historical fiction like The Women, The Home Front and The Mountains Sing, you will love Mandarin Road.

Mandarin Road is a dual-timeline, standalone book by bestselling historical fiction author, Ann Bennett. Discover this moving, compelling read today.

There’s a chance to win a copy of Ann’s novel, The Bookseller of Kathmandu, below but first, she has shared an extract with us today. We hope you enjoy.

*****beginning of extract*****

PROLOGUE
FEBRUARY, 1968
The Citadel, Huế, South Vietnam

CLUTCHING HIS RIFLE, Ed ran down the rubble-strewn street through the gunfire and smoke, his heart in his mouth as bullets pinged around him. They’d been fighting all day and now it was early evening, but the enemy showed no signs of easing the attack.

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