Reviews | For the Love of Vietnam

Kat Fitzpatrick's For the Love of Vietnam is simply a great read. The historical context is made vivid by the juxtaposition of her family's experience in Saigon during the final days before the fall of Saigon. The final scene, reminiscent of the ending of Schindler's List, is sure to leave readers with tears in their eyes. 
 

~Paul Block, author of Song of the Mohicans and 15 other historical novels 

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Much of the writing about America’s involvement in Vietnam has been from the military/political point of view. Missing from that body of work is an account of what life was like for American expats in the country. In her new book, For the Love of Vietnam, Kat Fitzpatrick brings readers a fresh perspective. 

In the summer of 1974, at the age of eight, Kat arrived in Saigon with her parents and six siblings. Here is an account of a family adapting to the harsh reality of Saigon living, her father’s work as a CIA operative running a clandestine radio station broadcasting propaganda into North Vietnam, and their heroic escape as the doomed country was falling apart. Through personal letters, poignant memoirs, family photographs, and published material, Fitzpatrick constructs a compelling narrative through which readers will better understand the scope of the Vietnam problem.

~Karen Kaiser, author of Saigon Diary (publication pending), librarian, Phoenix Study Group 1974-75

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It is rare to read a fresh perspective on history, especially from an eight-year-old girl. Kat Fitzpatrick was a child in Vietnam during the last years of the American occupation. Her fresh and previously unheard memories are enriched and augmented by her father’s (James Welch, CIA Operative) many journal entries, letters from and to his wife, interviews, sidebars, and so much more.
The gripping subject is the 1975 brilliant evacuation of over 1,000 House Seven propaganda radio station personnel, orchestrated by Kat’s esteemed father. The purpose is to bring this courageous and nearly impossible feat to light. Kat has given a factual, conversational, and stellar glimpse into an aspect of the American War in Vietnam to all who were and have been affected by it, and all who dare to know. Thank you, Ms Fitzpatrick!

~Nanson Serrianne, MSE (Masters of Science, Education)