The Lake Pagoda” was a beautifully written and evocative book. It’s focus is on Arielle, a half-French, half-Vietnamese young woman in French colonial Indochina The book’s special strength strength, I thought, was its pitch-perfect rendering of Arielle during the different phases of her life. The naive eighteen-year-old’s perspective comes through with simple narrative and cadence. As she becomes aware of the exploitation and cruelty of the French colonials, the narrative becomes tauter, conveying her anger and her desire to do something to mitigate. With the Japanese occupation and her subsequent time spent as an insurgent in the hills, the narrative takes on a different cadence as she fights with herself to overcome her principles to kill for a cause. The contrasting time frames are strongly rendered as we experience Arielle’s high ideals and principles challenged by the exploitation and cruelty of the time. A wonderful, highly recommended book.5 s Amy HagbergAuthor 10 books60

3.5 rounded up to 4

The Lake Pagoda takes readers on a journey to French Indochina in the mid-1940s, a period rarely explored in WWII historical fiction. The protagonist, Arielle, is of mixed French and Vietnamese heritage working as a secretary for the French colonial government. When the Japanese invade Hanoi, her native blood spares her from imprisonment, but she is forced to work for the enemy.

Ariel’s life takes a dramatic turn when she is approached by the Viet Minh, a Communist organization led by Ho Chi Minh. The agent threatens to expose dark secrets from her past if she doesn’t pass them information from the Japanese. She must navigate the dangerous path of espionage and resistance.

When I first discovered this novel on Kindle Unlimited, I was immediately drawn to its historical setting. The transition from Indochina to Japanese-held Hanoi and then to an independent Vietnam intrigued me, offering a fresh perspective on this pivotal time in history. While the plot held promise, I found myself less enthusiastic about picking up the book as I progressed. My disappointment stemmed from the writing style, which I felt relied too heavily on certain words and phrases. This aspect of the book detracted from my overall enjoyment.

Nevertheless, the historical value of The Lake Pagoda is undeniable. It shed light on a period and setting often overshadowed by more widely explored facets of World War II. I’d rate it 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4, for its insightful portrayal of a crucial moment in Vietnamese history.4 s Kimberly SullivanAuthor 6 books118

I was drawn to this story because of its setting in Viet Nam, and I’m very happy to have discovered the novel and author.

This novel takes place in a triple historical timeline: 1935 Hanoi under French rule, 1945 Hanoi with the Japanese occupation and eventual conquest by the Viet Minh rebels led by Ho Chi Minh, and 1946 Paris. The intricate story matches the complexity of the country itself.

Arielle Dupont is the child of a Vietnamese mother, who died when Arielle was a baby, and a French father. Arielle has grown up in Hanoi between the two cultures, but when she marries young to a wealthy plantation-owning Frenchman, her eyes are opened to the abuses inflicted upon her countrymen for the economic gain of colonial business interests. The story dips into the complexity and frequent abuse of colonial rule, the cruel occupation of the Japanese and the hopeful Ho Chi Minh-led revolution that quickly turns authoritarian. This complexity is handled gently, against the well-developed backdrop of a beautiful and resilient country.

A story of upheaval, shifting loyalty, resilience and hope, The Lake Pagoda and its protagonist Ariella make for compelling reading about a stunning and complex country.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this novel, in exchange for an honest review.
netgalley3 s PrasannaAuthor 5 books19

I've read a few books on WW2 based historical fiction depicting the nightmares of people in concentration camps amidst Holocaust, the inconceivable brutality of the Nazi army on civilians. This time around though I read a book based during the same time period but I got to read about the fate and destiny of people in IndoChina. The story follows the life of Arielle, a woman who is half-French and half-Vietnamese. In 1935, she meets a rich and charismatic French man, Etienne. Although she has her doubts, Arielle being young and naïve, accepts his proposal and gets married to him. Its only after the wedding, Arielle discovers the true horrors of Etienne's nature of work.

The plots flows through three time periods and narrates the story of the country's shifting political conflicts and Arielle's destiny that is tied to her country's fate. In 1945, Arielle has moved on from her disastrous marriage, although she is still plagued by the shadows it has left in the wake. Arielle is now in Hanoi, working along with her French father in the Mairie , the headquarters of the French administration, when Japanese troops infiltrate the city and overthrow the French government. Because she is half Annamese she escapes imprisonment, but her friend, Camille and her father are captured and detained in the Citadel. The Japanese general decides to employ Arielle as his secretary which gives Arielle access to important documents. Against her wishes, Arielle is forced to become a spy for the Viet Minh, an organization that wants to free Vietnam from Japanese as well as French administration. Arielle copies important documents from work and passes on this information to the Viet Minh agent.

When Arielle is discovered by her Japanese superiors, she is forced to become a guerrilla soldier, trained to kill and fight the Japanese army. It seems most of Arielle's life decisions have been forced upon her, and she yearns to reunite with her father again. Is there still hope for Arielle and will she ever be able to lead a happy and peaceful life again? Arielle's character although brave, sometimes in few chapters feel insipid too, I said most of what has happened in her life is against her choice. The plot is fast paced and interesting enough to capture the reader's attention. I really picked up the book in a hope to read more about Vietnam and educate myself on its war tormented history and I wasn't disappointed.

Thanks to #NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for an advanced copy of the book. Recommended to all readers of historical fiction/WWII fiction/Vietnam historyfirst-time-authors historical-fiction netgalley_arc ...more3 s Faye6

I really enjoyed this book following Arielle, a woman with Vietnamese and French heritage, through 3 time periods; Vietnam in 1935 and 1945 and ending in France in 1947. This books gives us an insight into a time in history when, as this books reminds us, peace was a luxury afforded to none.
For a short book, the story covers many pivotal stages in Vietnam’s fraught history with French and Japanese colonial rule, the uprising of the Viet Minh and their relationship with America.
Although, of course, slightly unrealistic in some details and in its ending, I recommend this book for its fast moving plot line and element of mystery that is maintained through the time jumps throughout the book. 1 Maureen BOOTH49

Set in Vietnam in 1945 concerning Amelie, half French half Vietnamese. more holiday reading.1 Rachael69 1 follower

This was a heartbreaking and beautifully written book. From start to finish I was captivated by this story of a young woman and her personal journey in 1930s and 1940s Hanoi and Paris. The story was gripping and the characters were so intriguing that I could not put this down.1 Shreedevi Gurumurty788 5

A novel of love, loss, and survival against all odds in war-torn Indochina.French Indochina 1945: Arielle, the daughter of a French father and Vietnamese mother, is working for the colonial government.Because of her native blood, she’s spared imprisonment when the Japanese storm Hanoi.Forced to work for the enemy,Arielle is contacted by a Viet Minh agent, who threatens to expose her dark secrets from ten years before if she doesn’t help his cause.
As Arielle is drawn deeper into the rebels’ dangerous world, will she ever escape the torment of her past? Or will she find love in the most unexpected of places?
From the late 1800's to 1954,Vietnam was part of French Indochina.Under French rule, Hanoi was separated into 3 regions which are French area,Vietnamese area and concession area.Hanoi’s French Quarter is located on the southeastern end of the popular Hoan Kiem Lake, housing most of the city’s foreign embassies, government buildings and affluent residential neighbourhoods.
The Old Quarter is the historical civic urban core of Hanoi, located outside the Imperial Citadel of Th?ng Long. It was the residential, manufacturing and commercial centre.
The Old Quarter contains many historic sights, such as temples, pagodas, and assembly halls.
The First Indochina War(December 19, 1946-July 20, 1954.)Fighting between French forces and Vi?t Minh began September 1945.
Most of the fighting took place in Tonkin,northern Vietnam.Laos and Cambodia were French Indochina protectorates.
The OSS Deer Team was established on May 16,1945 to attack and intercept materials on the railroad from Hanoi to Lang Son,to stop Japanese military units from entering China.The team provided training,medical and logistical assistance to the Viet Minh.They worked closely with Ho Chi Minh and Vo Nguyen Giap,aka Mr Hoo and Mr Van.The Americans left camp on August 16,after Japan surrendered.When guerrilla combatants debuted against French and Japanese troops,Vo Nguyen Giap arranged a safe house for Deer Team.
The OSS remained on good terms with H? Chí Minh until the USA began overtly supporting France's occupation of Indochina in the late 1950s. Janet563

Rated 3.2

Following Arielle as she tried to maneuver her French father's tendencies while trying to keep her Annamese Mother's culture was interesting. I learned more about the transition from Indochina to Japanese held Hanoi and then onto the independent Vietnam. Understanding the dynamics of all three groups during that time was fascinating. Walking the tightrope to stay independent was really hard. Hiring and moving migrants to work in the forest to extract rubber from trees is a disgusting job. Putting workers in that dire situation without food and necessary housing is awful. How disturbing for Arielle to learn the true nature of Etienne's work. Book is a little choppy in presentation but content was interesting.

Indochina 1945: Arielle, who is half-French, half-Vietnamese, is working as a secretary for the French colonial government when the Japanese storm Hanoi. Although her Asian blood spares her from imprisonment, she is forced to work for the occupiers. The Viet Minh threaten to reveal dark secrets from her past if she won’t pass them information from her new masters.

Drawn ever deeper into the rebels’ dangerous world, will Arielle ever escape the torment of her past? Or will she find love amidst the turmoil of war?

A novel of love, loss, war, and survival against all odds.

Praise for Ann Bennett

“Brilliant: I loved this book and believed in the characters immediately…Didn't want it to finish and several hours after reading the last line, it’s still going round in my head. Great book!” Five Stars Amazon reviewer

“I raced through this book in just over twenty-four hours. I literally could not put it down…’ Bibilobeth Goodreads

“Unputdownable: This was an engrossing read. I love how Ann Bennett crafts a story. Highly recommended.” Five Stars. Amazon reviewer.

“Fabulous!!!!!! One of the very best books I've read! Really keeps your interests piqued… Absolutely loved, loved, this story!” Five Stars. Goodreads reviewerhistorical-fiction Manisha64

This is a period fiction book with a romantic angle included; the romance is not central to the story. The plot-line revolves around a half French - half Vietnamese woman's turmoil in a period of unrest, as her country overthrows colonial rule. Her efforts to save her French father also form a major part of the story.

Arielle's transformation from a naive young woman who is shocked to discover the exploitation of her countrymen to a guerilla warrior is well done. The author gives us a well written picture of the Vietnamese struggle and the efforts to round up a rebellion. Even Arielle's girlish missteps into marriage are well presented and fleshed out.
I was fascinated by the story for a lot of bits which were fast moving, but the scenes set in Paris are so dull that I found myself getting bored sometimes. Unfortunately the book opens with these scenes in Paris and the decision to stay with the book despite it, was not the easiest.

I found some of the conversations heavy with exposition, for example: her conversation with her grandmother at the pagoda. This is a ritual they have both undertaken many times together, even if I, as the reader, haven't seen it yet. The dialogue was riddled with excessive explanation of the setting which seemed odd... surely both of them are familiar with it? There could have been a better way to introduce us to the significance of the religion and rituals.

The story is set in three time periods , which makes for a dramatic effect. The romantic portion is full of filmy flair and her hero conveniently drops in to save the day whenever she gets into trouble. The ending feels too good to be true and saccharine.

Read for: The vignettes of Hanoi , the preparation of the guerilla fighters and scenic descriptions of Vietnamese countryside and culture.
Thank you BooksGoSocial and Net galley for the review copy! Bookfan36333

Brief synopsis from the book cover:
Indochina 1945: Arielle, who is half-French, half-Vietnamese, is working as a secretary for the French colonial government when the Japanese storm Hanoi. Although her Asian blood spares her from imprisonment, she is forced to work for the occupiers. The Viet Minh threaten to reveal dark secrets from her past if she won’t pass them information from her new masters.

Drawn ever deeper into the rebels’ dangerous world, will Arielle ever escape the torment of her past? Or will she find love amidst the turmoil of war?

A novel of love, loss, war, and survival against all odds.

My rating:

Plot: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Writing: 4 out of 5 stars
Character development: 4 out of 5 stars
Overall: 4 out of 5 stars

Recommended for readers of:


Historical Fiction



Review:

I was attracted to this story because of the interesting subject. The book is set in Vietnam during and just after WWII. A lesser known period in Vietnamese history, I didn’t know a lot about. The story is well written and has interesting characters and gives you an insight into a lesser known period in Vietnamese history. The end was a little disappointing; it was a happy ending which was nice it just ended all a bit abruptly.

Review copy provided by Netgalley at no cost to me Jackie240 1 follower

The Lake Pagoda by Ann Bennet is an historical novel set in Hanoi between 1935 - 1945. It tells the story of a young woman’s perilous time during the war and the impact the different rulers had.
It was an interesting read with plenty of factual information threaded throughout the book. There is a romantic element but it doesn’t overload the story which I personally appreciated, it’s more about the exploitation and the difficulties of living on a knifes edge to survive the brutal crimes in Vietnam during the different leadership’s.
Big thanks to Ann Bennet, BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for this eARC which I chose to read in return for my honest review. Helen553

This is one of those books that I am just humming along getting lost in the story when bam there are no more pages to turn and I am so disappointed.

Notwithstanding I thoroughly enjoyed the story of the start up of communism in Vietnam and the legendary Ho Chi Minh and in particular Arielle’s part in the story. Vietnam is a beautiful country but spoilt by French oppressors and even worse by the Japanese during ww2 years and sadly by the misplaced Americans trying to stamp out communism

Great book. More please Vivien FitzGerald-Smith25

Fascinating story in an unusual setting.

I totally enjoyed this book. Knowing so little of the history of Indochine/ Vietnam, I found it fascinating and instructive.
Ann Bennet has a gift for evoking tropical settings and the cities of the Asian communities, both native and colonist.
As in her other books you can feel the empathy she has for her characters and the difficulties they face. The relationships between ruled and ruling, their loves and loyalties are sensitively explored. Highly recommended. Polly Krize2,095 44

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Living in Indochina (Vietnam), Arielle is half French and half Vietnamese, caught up in the struggle against the Japanese occupiers of her home country. An evocative touching story of a young woman trying to live her life against almost insurmountable odds, from guerrilla warfare with the Viet Minh to smuggling secrets from her Japanese employers. Very well written historical fiction set in 3 deftly interwoven timelines. Eileen Vernor230 4

An enthralling story!

I love reading Ann Bennett’s historical novels of Southeast Asia during WWII. It’s not a part of history that I know well so her novels have expanded my understanding. During the mid-1970s I lived in Jakarta, Indonesia and experienced the lingering anti-Japanese sentiment from their brutality during the war, but I did not appreciate then how widespread the terror was during WWII.

I highly recommend any books by Ann Bennett! Alexis12

I read the book and I kept waiting for something to happen, I kept waiting for more character development for Arielle and was frankly disappointed by the ending. It felt very abrupt.

I also found the writing fairly... Basic? Juvenile? Overuse of the phrase "kissed on the lips." It's a kiss, by default it would be 'on the lips'. The romance was lacklustre and just so contrived. I wish I could get my time and money back. Lorraine Braughton11

Excellent book. Well written and captivating. The characters come alive. I really enjoyed the story.

Ann Bennet does a wonderful job of recounting WW2 in the far east. My parents were born and raised in Burma until Burma got independence, so her books really bring that Era alive to me. Margaretstone3aol.com15

Superb reading . The intermingling of historical events and individuals terrific


Loved the book and didnt wanting it to end. I look forward to the next one by Ann Bennett with excitement Amata5 1 follower

It is a truly captivating story, I could hardly put it down. I would have given it five stars if not for all these adjectives - I very much prefer the "show, don't tell" technique. Still, I enjoyed reading the book and recommend it. Susan Morgan7

This book was enjoyable, though it did not hold my interest quite as much as other books I've read by this author. It still was worthwhile to read, as Ann's books have a way of teaching history that is new to me & much more interesting than sitting in classroom! Sophie Blair11

Read this whilst travelling in Vietnam, which made the book feel particularly magical at times. Loved the story and how the characters went on such a journey. The best part was learning so much about the countries tragic past, but in such a beautiful way. Pamela Grissom152 2

love

I just love a happy ending!!
The characters are real and easy to watch and be part of their lives. I felt privileged to be part of this and learned a great deal about the times. Hazel Friday209 1 follower

Wasnt as good as the Lake Palase, Deirdre J28

Learned so much and enjoyed every second of it! I'll read anything she writes. Always a history lesson with a wonderful story wrapped into it. Characters are well developed and memorable. Patreesa osmond-humphreys20

historically very interesting

Loved learning about different countries eg Vietnam Paris etc

Quite well researched and I felt I knew everyone personally. Great Kathy251

4.5 rounded up Sally10

Really enjoyed this book. Finished it in 2 days as I couldn't put it down. Very vividly written. Looking forward to reading more by this author. VALERIE GRAYSON54 1 follower

I really enjoyed reading the Lake Pagoda Jane Hadfield96

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