Ivanhoe Reading Circle discuss Seeing the Elephant By Portland Jones
Ivanhoe ReadingCircle
A poignant story of a remarkable relationship between Frank Stevens, an Australian soldier sent to the Vietnamese Highlands to recruit and train the local hill tribes during the Vietnam War, and his Vietnamese translator, Minh.
Nearly fifty years later, Minh, now living in Australia and seriously ill, remembers the experiences that he shared with Frank, and discovers that even amongst his traumatic memories, there is consolation and joy.
About the Author
Portland Jones lives in the Swan Valley outside Perth with her partner and three children, where she trains horses. Seeing the Elephant is her first novel. It was shortlisted for the T.A.G. Hungerford Award for an unpublished West Australian writer in 2014 and was written initially as part of a creative writing PhD. Jones says she doesn’t know whether to be a writer or a horse trainer!
Review
‘In supple, lucid prose, Portland Jones weaves a talk of doomed war and love under siege. Seeing the Elephant is a moving meditation on loss and the redemptive power of memory.’ Christine Piper, Winner of the 2014 Australian Vogel Literary Award.
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