Seasons of the Pearl

The years of American participation in the Vietnam War normally evoke strong memories of sadness and devastation. But being resourceful, we can find comfort and even humor in much of life's pain.

The Oriental Pearl, a bistro in Saigon, was a place to help wind down the one-year tour to which our characters are obligated. Enjoying Seasons of the Pearl is to experience a year in the lives that pass through its doors. A time of sadness, but the Pearl people will mostly make you laugh.

This novel was written with a tremendous appreciation and respect for the countless numbers of men and women who participated in the Vietnam War but were not as fortunate as most in our story. It is to their credit that they can now see those times with a somewhat whimsical view.

Gary Riedel is a former Military Intelligence Technician who lived and worked for many years in Southeast Asia. After graduating from the Department of Defense Foreign Language Institute in Monterey, California, he arrived in Vietnam for the first time in 1968. Gary now lives in Southern, California, where he is working on his second novel.