Down in Laos

MWSA Review

Francis J Partel Jr offers the reader a front row seat to a portion of the Vietnam War in his novel, Down In Laos. A skillfully woven tapestry of suspense, ethics, consequence, and chaos haphazardly shuffles the lives of Partel's characters, as we witness how choices, perspectives, and circumstance determine diverse outcomes.

Down in Laos' realistic adventure dives deep into the moralistic and spiritual dilemmas of the war in Vietnam. Patel seeks the hard answers, and opens a keyhole into multiple views of war, forgiveness, faith and the consequences thereof in this modern twist on the Book of Job.

Francis J Partel's Down in Laos keeps one perched on the edge of the seat, unwilling to close the book until the last page is turned.

Reviewed by: Sandra Linhart (2015)

Author's Summary

Down in Laos is a suspense, action-thriller, war story about a ship, air wing, and a pilot. Based on true U.S. Navy and Marine Corps events in Southeast Asia in early 1968 - the Pueblo seizure, Khe Sanh, Tet and the unknown, top-secret Operation Igloo White. When Lt. Campbell, USN, is shot down and parachutes into Laos and becomes a POW, the story becomes a story of will to live, of man against man, and man against nature. It is also a story of faith, which was very much a part of the POW survival experience and a modern parallel to the Book of Job. The contrast is also set for Down in Laos to explore what makes Western Civilization unique in the world.