Last Night I Dreamed of Peace

May 28, 2007
In 1970, while sifting through war documents in Vietnam, Fred Whitehurst, an American lawyer serving with a military intelligence dispatch, found a diary no bigger than a pack of cigarettes, its pages handsewn together. Written between 1968 and '70 by Tram, a young, passionate doctor who served on the front lines, it chronicled the strife she witnessed until the day she was shot by American soldiers earlier that year at age 27. Whitehurst, who was greatly moved by the diary and smuggled it out of the country, returned it to Thuy's family in 2005; soon after, it was published as a book in Vietnam, selling nearly half a million copies within a year and a half. The diary is valuable for the perspective it offers on war—Thuy is not obsessed with military maneuvers but rather the damage, both physical and emotional, that the war is inflicting on her country. Thuy also speaks poignantly about her patients and the compassion she feels for them. Unfortunately, the writing, composed largely of breathless questions and exclamations, is monotonous at times, somewhat diminishing the book's power.

August 1, 2007
While serving with a military intelligence detachment in Vietnam, lawyer Fred Whitehurst was charged with combing through captured North Vietnamese documents and burning those without military value. As he tossed documents into the fire, an interpreter stopped him and said, "Don't burn this one, Fred. It has fire in it already." It was the diary of a young woman named Dang Thuy Tram, begun in April 1968 when Tram was 25 years old and serving as a chief physician at a Viet Cong field hospital in central Vietnam and abruptly ended two years later when she was shot and killed by American soldiers. Whitehurst brought the diary home, eventually locating Tram's family and returning it to them in 2005; the book was soon published in Vietnam and sold nearly a half million copies. Although the writing is at times scattered and filled with random questions and thoughts, as one might expect in a personal diary, Tram offers a poignant perspective on the human suffering experienced by America's opponent and provides insight into Tram's personal and political struggles. Recommended for public libraries and academic libraries with Vietnam war collections. [See Prepub Alert, "LJ" 5/15/07.]Patti C. McCall, AMRI, Albany, NY

Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2007
Adult/High School-Trams extraordinary diary, which remained concealed in an American soldiers file cabinet for more than 30 years, brings to light the history, politics, trauma, and tragedy of the Vietnam War. It begins when Tram was 25 and covers two years, ending two days before she was shot by American troops. A doctor from a loving, urbane, and socialistic family in Hanoi, she decided to contribute her services for the war effort. Tram traveled deep into the jungle of Quang Ngai Province, where she worked at a series of inadequate clinics. Naive and idealistic, she originally enlisted out of love for her country and to follow (unsolicited) in the trail of her high school sweetheart, who became a soldier. Her clear, pure voice speaks of love, friendship, family, poetry, and music, as well as of longing for peace and independence for both North and South Vietnam. She was passionate about life while confronting bombs, immense and unalterable suffering, and the daily possibility of her own demise, and her words and presence linger long after the last page is finished. Photos showing a beautiful young woman and her family members, school, and home; footnotes describing historical, geographic, and cultural contexts; a detailed introduction; and an interactive Web site that contains study guides all add to the books effectiveness. The volume will generate much discussion. It is an excellent source for nonfiction booktalks, book groups, World History and English classes, and public libraries everywhere.Jodi Mitchell, Berkeley Public Library, CA

Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.