Indra's Net
by
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Indra’s Net is available in printed form through Trafford Publishing. The book is also available in printed form and as an electronic (Kindle) download from Amazon.com. A free preview of the book is available at Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Indras-Net-Moses-Ludel/dp/1412081874#reader_1412081874
The Clarion/Foreword 4-star review:
“Beginning with the death of an old cowhand in the Sierra Nevadas and quickly progressing to the jungle battlefields of WWII ‘Indochina’ (Vietnam), this ambitious novel spreads its net across the marches of history, reeling in gold nuggets of intriguing fictional action...One of the best things about this novel is the author’s firm grasp of history, especially as experienced from the viewpoint character of Dinh...after nearly a century of racist subjugation by first the French and later the Japanese, Dinh sees the revolution as a chance for women to hold important leadership positions, for modern medicine to assist rural and poor urban citizens, and for the sharing of food, clean drinking water, and medical supplies. This idea, coupled with the U.S. Government’s initial support of the Viet Minh, will come as new information to many readers, who certainly didn’t learn this in high school, or even college history…this comprehensive novel reads like a history book without the boring bits, covering much of the ground of the world’s past—some of it scarcely disturbed by American boots. Teachers and librarians should find it of particular interest. An engaging, satisfying, and richly lengthy read.”—Holly Chase Williams, ForeWord Magazine CLARION Reviews****
The complete Indra’s Net four-star review by Holly Chase Williams is available at Clarion/Foreword: http://www.forewordreviews.com/reviews/clarion/indra-s-net/
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About the Book
Indra’s Net by Moses Ludel is an epic novel about the cost of war and the redeeming power of the human spirit… At a rugged eastern Sierra valley in Nevada, second-generation Americans Otto Stern and Alma Wertz turn two thousand acres into a successful dairy, cattle and hay operation. When they come of age, Otto and Alma’s sons, Pete and Bill, inherit the Hayfork Ranch, but when World War II breaks out, the brothers feel compelled to serve their country. It is during his time overseas that Pete has a brief affair with Doctor Dinh, a French-educated woman and champion of the peasants in Indo-China. When the American atomic bombs bring the war and the affair to a sudden end, Pete returns home to his joyful family and fiancée, Sarah. Dinh quickly marries and soon after bears a son, Van, whose eyes look just like those of his grandmother, Alma. Back home, Pete picks up life where he left off, finishing school, marrying Sarah and raising a family of four children at the Hayfork Ranch. At the peak of the Vietnam War, Pete and Sarah’s son Mike enlists and ends up fighting, unknowingly, against his half-brother Van. In a deadly battle, Mike is badly wounded. Returning home a paraplegic sends him spiraling into years of addiction, pain and tragedy. Over time, the family finds healing. It’s not until Pete dies in a severe flood that Sarah discovers his Army medals and postwar letters. After seeing a photo of Dinh and Van, things click and Sarah makes contact with the other woman half a world away. Their ability to connect and build a friendship across disparate cultures is a testament to the strength of family and the renewal and healing it can bring.
About the Author
Moses Ludel grew up in rural Carson Valley, Nev., graduating high school and coming of draft age in 1967. After graduation from the University of Oregon, he spent over two decades as a successful photojournalist, columnist and author, writing and illustrating eight non-fiction books. His teaching experience includes five years (1999-2004) as a vocational instructor, the principal and vocational director at Rite of Passage Charter High School. Happily married for 33 years, Ludel and his wife, Donna, have four grown children and six grandchildren. Indra's Net is his first novel.