A Dragon's Tale

Book excerpt: Vietnam, 1968. A Vietnamese girl-a dragon-and her family are caught in the throes of violence, taking shelter in their dilapidated dwelling. The thick threat of attack hangs in the air like a heavy fog as bombs sound and machine guns whir throughout the city. As long as the family is together, all will be fine. Dublin, California, 2006. A Vietnamese-American woman-a dragon-reflects on her present circumstances, worlds away from those humble roots, now taking cover not from the indiscriminate cruelty of war but from the discriminate barbarity of man. As buds bloom and flowers blossom in a spectacular show of rebirth, spring dawns in her heart and delivers the promise of life. As long as she has her family, all will be fine. A Dragon's Tale, by Long Lee, is a rich tapestry, narrating a life's history wound with personal reflection. Marred by the ravages of war and the scars of personal battles, Lee's is a story of survival and the resiliency of the human spirit. From the rice fields of Vietnam to a cell on America's shores, one woman loses everything yet discovers she has gained it all.