A Confluence of Fates by John Zaiss

A gripping novel of fate, luck and choice set in the Vietnam War and its aftermath

John Zaiss’s ambitious novel, A Confeluence of Fates, is a terrifically rewarding historical read, depicting the experiences of a soldier and a Vietnamese orphan with equal sympathy. 

With the spare efficacy of a literary thriller, A Confluence of Fates makes good on its title, moving the reader through two interconnected experiences of the Vietnam War. Richie, a young draftee and Linh, an orphaned Vietnamese girl, lead separate lives that meaningfully intersect thanks to a fate-like blend of consequence, choice, and luck. 

The novel opens with Linh’s mother giving birth to her in a hut in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. The birthing scene is tight and effective, establishing the circumstances the rural Vietnamese found themselves in during the War, caught between the invading Americans and the pitiless VietCong. Zaiss even uses geography to concretize the cultural tension. He describes the birthing hut as looking like a “dirt floor, packed and hardened.” He then juxtaposes this dirt floor with a well-placed historical nugget—that same day, Bob Hope and Raquel Welsh were doing a glamorous USO show not “eighty miles away.” Zaiss’s writing is remarkably efficient in this way, with descriptions, conversations, and evocative detail carrying the exposition. 

One of the novel’s particular strengths is Zaiss’s ability to convey history and cultural context within the confines of a well-chosen detail. “Old men, the cụ già, squatted in front of their homes, stared at nothing, and observed everything.” There are no young men. Like Linh’s father, they have all been conscripted by the VC. These old men are all that is left, and they cannot be roused to welcome a new baby. “The eldersno longer celebrated births. They had seen too many children buried before their third birthdate.”

Small thematic threads pull us through Linh’s and Richie’s stories, a particularly strong one being about the theme of fatherhood. Lamenting the absence of Linh’s conscripted father, her grandmother notes that “everyone knows a child without a father is like a home without a roof,”a sentiment that pulls through Richie’s life. The child of a single mom, he becomes the appreciative stepson of her second husband, Leonard, who was a constantin his life. Bringing the theme full circle, Richie then does what Leonard did for him by becoming the father of a child who is not biologically his, as does Linh’s future adopted father. 

Fathers are important in A Confluence of Fates, but not at the expense of the women of the story. Linh’s mother and grandmother protect her in the war-ravaged Vietnam, while Richie’s single mom relies on her Depression-Era upbringing and “forthright and plain-spoken” determination to see them though grief, financial hardship, and the specter of the draft. Richie’s girlfriend, Claire, is portrayed as a strong, practical young woman, unafraid to talk about her feelings while setting boundaries and advocating for herself. Zaiss portrays her as a complicated, fully rounded human, not just a soldier’s love interest.

Zaiss’s dialogue and character dynamics are a pleasure to read. Even secondary characters, like Claire’s father, are dynamic individuals who change and adapt, to be both amazing and frustrating by turns. There are no wasted characters in A Confluence of Fates. From Brian, Richie’s best friend in Vietnam, to Sister Clemenine, the fearless nun who tends the people of Linh’s village, every interaction serves depth of character and context. 

Zaiss allows Richie to be both intelligent and emotionally mature, while also shooting himself in the foot repeatedly. Richie makes every wrong choice when it comes to the war, which leads to being deployed directly into “the meatgrinder” where he and a seven-year-old Linh meet during a botched evacuation. The titular confluence of their fates—the consequence of many well-intentioned choices—is well-earned, realistic, and inevitable. 

If I had one quibble, it would be that the novel’s pacing lags a bit after the War. For Richie, the draft and deployment drive urgency, just as the VC and danger do for Linh. Without these imperatives, the novel’s focus softens as it shifts primarily to Linh, who is adopted by an American couple. At times, the novel’s halves feel disconnected, but Zaiss is mindful about keeping the ties between them active. At one point, an aging Richie meets “Lynn” at the Vietnam War Memorial, a brief but satisfying moment.

A Confluence of Fates explores the interplay of fate and choice with engaging sensitivity and skill. At times, I found myself talking to the book—a sure sign that I was hooked. I couldn’t put it down, even when I was tempted by tension or tragedy, to look away. Zaiss is a trustworthy author, skilled enough to hold the reader steady through the resonant and satisfying conclusion.