Dean Krystek

Buddha's War: a Novel Dean Krystek

Bruce Dudak, AKA Buddha, doesn't want to leave Vietnam. Lonely and insecure, he is drawn to the innocent sensual beauty of the women. But the only women who he appeals to are the ones who ask for money in exchange for their companionship. Tired of insincerity, he yearns for the love of a beautiful woman. Trinh, once a popular bar girl, has had her life shattered by the war. Her face, still stunningly beautiful on one side, is obscenely disfigured on the other. Betrayed by the American she loved, she lives a hopelessly futile life. When fate brings them together, Buddha finds Trinh unexpectedly alluring. At first he denies his interest in her, yet he is compelled to see her. Trinh does not want Bruce's pity, but his sincerity offers her renewed hope. As they discover their love for one another, they also discover that the peace they seek comes from how they view themselves and not how they appear to others. Buddha's War is a compelling story of self-redemption told with the intimacy and honesty of one who has tasted the sweet bitterness of war.