Oblivion by Patrick Holland

Set in the world of high finance, the unnamed narrator is a wheeler and dealer of international speculative deals. He moves between anonymous airports of Asian countries, fluent enough in languages to make the right connections and pick up beautiful women as he wants. He is about to secure the millions needed to buy the apartment he wants to settle down in, when he finds himself coerced into undertaking a seemingly simple secret mission, one that changes all his prospects.

A disenchanting life of self-interest and aimless drifting, takes a turn when he encounters Tien, a Vietnamese courtesan whose values of caring for others and love of home provide a counterpoint to his.

A novel that begins as a portrayal of the shallowness and detachment of modern life suddenly morphs into an overwhelmingly beautiful story of disinterested love and self-sacrifice. Oblivion turns out to be a surprise.

Themes: Asia, Modern life, Loneliness, Love.

Helen Eddy