Renaissance Readers: "The Sympathizer" by Viet Thanh Nguyen

Renaissance Readers meet at 10:00 am on the second Tuesday of each month.

This month's book selection is The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen.

The Sympathizer opens in April 1975, as Saigon descends into chaos. In a quiet villa, a South Vietnamese general, aided by his loyal captain, compiles a list of allies to evacuate on the final flights out of the country. The group resettles in Los Angeles, unaware that the captain—raised by a poor Vietnamese mother and an absent French father, and educated in America—is secretly reporting back to the Viet Cong.

Part spy thriller, part political meditation, and part love story, The Sympathizer follows a man caught between worlds, ideologies, and identities. With sharp insight and emotional depth, the novel explores the legacy of the Vietnam War and its echoes in literature, film, and modern conflict.

Any interested reader is invited to join the discussion!