Once upon a Mulberry Field

By: C. L. Hoang

Narrated by: Treg Monty

Length: 13 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

• Honorable Mention, Writer's Digest 22nd Annual Book Awards (2014)
• Gold Medal Winner (Historical Literature Fiction), 2014 Global Ebook Awards
• Grand Prize Winner (Fiction), 2014 LuckyCinda Book Contest
• Honorable Mention (General Fiction), 2015 Eric Hoffer Literary Award
• Finalist (Historical Fiction), 2014 National Indie Excellence Book Awards
• 5-Star Ratings from Amazon Hall-of-Fame Top Reviewers

A gripping story of love, loss, and redemption in the vietnam war:

As Roger Connors, a widower with no children, ponders whether to pursue aggressive treatment for his cancer, a cryptic note arrives from a long-lost USAF buddy announcing the visit of an acquaintance from Vietnam. The startling news resurrects ghosts of fallen comrades and haunting memories of the great love he once knew.

Shocking revelations from his visitor uncover a missing part of Roger's life he never dreamed possible. Peeling back one layer at a time, he delves into a decades-old secret in search of answers and traces of a passion unfulfilled.

From the jungles of Vietnam through the minefields of the heart, Once upon a Mulberry Field follows one man's journey to self-discovery, fraught with disillusionment and despair but ultimately redeemed by the power of love.

©2014 Chinh L. Hoang (P)2020 Chinh L. Hoang

Immersive and deeply moving

A beautiful journey through time, space, hopes and dreams that gently gripped me from the beginning and never let go. I couldn't stop listening. I appreciated the narrator's more thoughtful pace which made it possible to absorb the often profoundly beautiful prose. The horror of war vs. the mysterious beauty of the human soul makes the reality of good and evil achingly palpable. Yet in the end it is Love that survives and can dream of living forever. I cried a lot, but I loved it.

Great audiobook!

I read the book a while ago, but have to say that the audiobook was a completely different and fuller experience. When I read, it is in my mental monotone. but the narrator added a dimension of emotion that I didn't expect. So many more details registered with me while listening than when I quickly read Mulberry Fields originally. I learned so much about the horrors of war, about Vietnamese culture and history, about the lasting impact on people on both sides of the Pacific. The author is skilled in giving you insight into the characters' thoughts, intentions, grief, and emotions. It painted quite a full picture of what it was like to be stationed there in '67-68 -- the facts were well researched and the characters well developed. I really enjoyed it!

a compelling perspective

My brother, Peter Caldwell, an MD who was drafted into the Navy after completing his internship, left for Vietnam in July 1966. Although he did write to our family during that time of some of his activities, our perspective of the Vietnam war was basically that portrayed by the media coverage. I had had a college roommate, a marine 2nd Lieutenant, die after serving only two weeks, also in 1966. Thus when he returned in 1967, I was somewhat dismayed to learn that he had regretted his departure, and that although he was very reluctant to discuss his experience, he felt that the negativity of coverage did not reflect accurately what he had come to know of the people of Vietnam or the true nature of the conflict.

Years have past and it was joy to discover two novels by a true son of Vietnam, whose stirring
accounts of his country during that time brought a compelling reality to my brother’s experience which he eventually shared in his own two books.

An avid listener to the audio format with over 850 titles in a personal library, author C. L. Hoang’s sense of narrative and characterization brought the stirring of emotion which a well rendered reading and powerful story can elicit. This is a wonderful portrayal which created a much clearer understanding of the people, the culture and the conflict, for which I thank him.

Great Book & eye opening Understanding Vietnam War

Being born in 1957 this book really brings to me what was going on in the Vietnam war

So very, very well done

This is an excellent book that uses 1st person narrative to tell the story of a US doctor serving during the Vietnam war. The story is believable, possible, touching, and compelling. I am very impressed by the author, C.L. Hoang. The protagonist's voice is so authentic it is hard to believe it's not actually the author's own life he's recounting here.

The narrator's reading pace is a little slower than I am used to reading, so I bumped the speed up a bit and that worked perfectly for me. Treg Monty's articulation is so perfect that the bit of extra speed was still perfect. I appreciated his effective voice changes, which helped me keep straight who was speaking.

Final word on this book: Very little makes me cry, but this book so pulled me in that my tears flowed (for joy) in the final scenes. Well done, C. L. Hoang. And well done, narrator Treg Monty.

Romance and excitement

This is a fascinating love story. If you are listening to this while driving, and you are prone to tears, the author probably wishes you would listen while stationary. His words don't want to be the cause of an accident. What is so interesting is that the author is Vietnamese and has lived in the United States since early seventies I believe. I think this would make a fabulous movie.