Sawadika American Girl by Daria Sommers

                                                

Ebook:  284 pages 

Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction,

Publisher:   May 5th 2026 by Vine Leaves Press

Source: My Kindle Library via NetGalley 

First Sentence: Long after the Vietnam War had ended, and the grand house near the canal had been torn down; after the stench of the buffalo slaughterhouse had evaporated from local memory and the summary of her Bangkok childhood had been zip-locked inside her brownie camera photos, the heaviness thirty-two year old Piper Lewis had carried for years lightened.

Setting:  Bangkok, Thailand

Review Quote: “A stunning historical coming-of-age novel offers an unexpected take on the US presence in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War as seen through the eyes of Piper, an American diplomat’s daughter, thrust into a world unlike any she has ever known.” John Fried, author of The Martin Chronicles

My Opinion: 

'Sawadika American Girl' is a powerful novel set in Bangkok, Thailand in 1968 during the Vietnam War.

Piper Lewis is an American teenager living in Bangkok during this period because her father happens to be an American Diplomat in the city. The increased military presence and her father's expectations of her to behave perfectly, make her question her position of privilege. Meeting and becoming involved with Jack, a long American soldier on leave complicates life even further.

I enjoyed the setting of Bangkok and the historical background, but not so much the storyline. A coming of age story that I would suggest is suited to readers much younger than myself.

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads: 

In 1968 Bangkok, Thailand, 17-year-old Piper Lewis’ world is changing in unsettling ways. The U.S. Military’s expansion into Thailand in support of the Vietnam War is reshaping the city she loves. Her USAID Official father’s mysterious absences fray their once-close relationship. Her stepmother’s obsession with appearances suffocates her. Worse, she can’t summon the passion to bring Beethoven’s Pathetique Sonata to life. Only her beloved piano teacher, a Thai Prince, senses the depth of her disconnect. 

One night, Piper ditches the American Teen Club to party with an older crowd. Sparks fly when she meets Jack, a 19-year-old GI on R&R from Vietnam. Defying the Army’s non-fraternization policy, they pledge to spend his leave together. As the hypocrisy of the war closes in on them, Jack’s name surfaces in a drug investigation and Piper discovers a disturbing truth about her father, forcing both to decide what they are willing to risk for a few more days together.

Sawadika American Girl is the story of a young American woman coming-of-age on the periphery of a brutal, unjust war.

Author Profile:         

                                                                                                                             

                                      Courtesy of Author's Facebook (Photo) and Website

Daria Sommers is an author and filmmaker who grew up in Bangkok, Thailand. A graduate of Oberlin College, she has received grants from NYSCA and the National Endowment for the Humanities as well as fellowships from the MacDowell Colony and the Virginia Center for the Arts. Her essays, op-eds and reviews have been widely published, including Ginosko Literary Journal, Woman Around Town, The New York Times and Art New England. Daria is currently Managing Editor of VBC Magazine.

Daria Sommers is a writer and filmmaker whose work includes both fiction and non-fiction. Her novel Sawadika American Girl will be released from Vine Leaves Press May 5, 2026. Her essays, op-eds and reviews have been widely published including in the Ginosko Literary Journal, Woman Around Town, Art New England and The New York Times. Daria is currently the Managing Editor of VBC Magazine.

Her feature-length documentary Lioness, about women soldiers who served in the Iraq War won Duke University’s coveted Documentary Studies Filmmaker Award at the Full Frame Film Festival. Other films include the half-hour 35 mm drama Ready to Burn, winner of Panavision’s New Director Award; Three Trembling Cities, a web series on immigrants in New York City, winner of Best Drama at UK WebFest and Philly TV Fest; and Eastern Spirit, a profile of Chinese American artist Diana Kan.

Daria's work has garnered support from the NEH, the NEA, the Sundance Documentary Fund, the Fledgling Fund, Chicken and Egg Pictures, NYSCA and the John Whitney Payson Fund among many others. She has been an artist-in-residence at the MacDowell Colony, the Virginia Center for the Arts and Mass MoCA, served on the Metropolitan Museum's Program for Art on Film and been a juror for the UN's One In A Billion Film Series.

Her work has screened at festivals around the world including Tribeca, the London Human Rights Watch Film Festival and the Valencia Film Festival, and been broadcast internationally on PBS, BBC, CBC, and in France and Australia.

Daria is a graduate of Oberlin College.

Photographs and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites:

Amazon Author Profile.    Goodreads Author Profile.   Instagram Profile.    Facebook Profile

Things We Have In Common by Tasha Kavanagh

Hardback: 260 pages                                                                                                
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Canongate Books Ltd 2015
Source: Tywyn Public Library
First Sentence: The first time I saw you, you were standing at the far end of the playing field near the bit of fence that's trampled down, where the kids that come to school along the wooded path cut across.
Review Quote: "The most chilling last line you'll read this year" (Independent on Sunday)
Main Characters: Yasmin and Alice.
Literary Awards: Costa Book Award Nominee for First Novel (2015), ALA Alex Award (2018)
My Opinion: I really did not enjoy this novel despite the fact that it is a well written debut, not one I would have read had it not been a choice for the book club I am a member of.
The protagonist fifteen year old Yasmin is desperately lonely as she has no friends due to her weight and the subsequent bullying she is subjected to. To fill this void she has become obsessed with her attractive classmate Alice, which at first made me feel pity for her. The way the story is narrated in such an intimate way makes it particularly creepy, especially when Yasmin notices that a man also appears to be watching Alice and she transfers her obsession to this mysterious man. My pity changed to annoyance at this stage with Yasmin's disturbing fantasies. To be frank it was just not what I expected from the blurb, it bored me. In the minority, not liking this one, but I wonder if it is because the novel is apparently, aimed at Young Adults and I am certainly not in that category.


Précis Courtesy of Goodreads:

Yasmin would give anything to have a friend… And do anything to keep them.

The first time I saw you, you were standing at the far end of the playing field. You were looking down at your brown straggly dog, your mouth going slack as your eyes clocked her. Alice Taylor.

I was no different. I’d catch myself gazing at the back of her head in class, at her thick fair hair swaying between her shoulder blades.

If you’d glanced just once across the field, you’d have seen me standing in the middle on my own looking straight at you, and you’d have gone back through the trees to the path quick, tugging your dog after you. You’d have known you’d given yourself away, even if only to me.

But you didn’t. You only had eyes for Alice.



Video Trailer for 'Things We Have In Common' Courtesy of YouTube

Author Profile:

Tasha Kavanagh lives in Hertfordshire with her family and three cats. She has an MA in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia, has worked as an editor on feature films, including 'The Talented Mr Ripley', 'Twelve Monkeys' and 'Seven Years in Tibet' and has had ten books for children published under her maiden name Tasha Pym. 'Things We Have in Common' is her first novel.


Photographs, Trailer and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites.


YouTube Trailer   Amazon Author Page     Tasha Kavanagh Website    Facebook Author Page
Twitter Profile - Tasha Kavanagh       Goodreads Author Profile

Solomon's Tale by Sheila Jeffries

Hardback: 234 pages
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Publisher: Avon 2013
Source: The publishers in return for an unbiased review.
First Sentences: I sat down in the middle of the road to think about why I had left home on that summer morning. I was only a black kitten, eight weeks old, but I had a tough decision to make.
Review Quote: “An inspiring tale destined to delight all.” The Sun
My Opinion:  A wonderful spiritual tale for young adults but one that will be enjoyed by all animal lovers.



When I was approached by the publisher to see if I was interested in reading and reviewing Solomon's Tale I admit I had my doubts. Firstly I normally steer away from young adult novels and secondly books written from an animals point of view. However loving cats and missing having my own there was something about it that I found appealing so I said yes. Thankfully I did and thanks Avon for giving me the opportunity to read this heart warming spiritual story proving to me just how close a relationship one can have with a cat.

Solomon is the hero of the novel and the narrator of the story of how he saved a family in crisis. Solomon had once been the pet of a little girl called Ellen, now a young woman with a child and in an unhappy marriage. She needs help which is why the angels send Solomon back to earth to find her and guide her through troubled times. You may not believe in angels or the concepts Sheila Jeffries writes about, but read with an open mind you cannot help but find it emotional and uplifting. A simple little story that covers some big emotional issues in a unique style.

In conclusion this is a wonderful spiritual tale for young adults but one that will be enjoyed by all animal lovers, young or old.


Author Profile + Author Question and Answer Interview

Sheila Jeffries has been writing since she was young, writing and publishing four children's novels before she left school. Written under her maiden name, Sheila Chapman, in the popular 'pony story' genre of the time, the books continued to sell worldwide until the eighties.

After studying at Bath Academy of Art, Sheila spent many happy years teaching in UK schools. She had eight more children's novels published under the name Sheila Haigh, and her most successful book, Little Gymnast, was a bestseller in America.

Solomon’s Tale breaks new ground in her writing career. It's a book truly from the heart, and though it is fiction it is based on two real cats, Solomon and Jessica, who shared and enriched her life. Sheila lives in Somerset where she enjoys teaching meditation and running workshops for writers.

For a fuller Biography please visit Shelia Jeffries - Official Website

In agreement with her publicist I am including a question and answer interview with Shelia Jeffries, which I hope my readers here will find of interest.

Author's questions answered by Sheila Jeffries the author of Solomon's Tale.

What is your average writing day?

 About three hour’s actual writing, another three hours thinking time, research and editing.

Do you use celebrities or people you know as inspiration?

I was inspired by a brilliant English teacher, and by both my parents. Now, I am grateful for the support of my close writers circle and my husband, Ted, who is amazing. I don't have a celebrity role model but a person I like and admire is Joanna Lumley.

What is your favourite women's fiction book of all time?

I love so many books, it's hard to choose. I also love classical literature and poetry. The one book I have re-read several times is GAINING GROUND by Joan Barfoot. It's such an important book for women, really challenging everything society expects of us.

What is your writing process?

I write in longhand, always, sometimes very fast and sometimes painfully slow. I am slow if I haven't had enough thinking time and solitude. My stories evolve organically and the most impossible task for me is doing a synopsis. I edit my work ruthlessly and usually need 3 drafts. My handwritten copy is a real mess and the girl who does my word processing is incredibly tolerant.

Can you describe your journey to being a published author?

I've had 3 journeys! The first began when I was still at school and writing as Sheila Chapman. The first publisher I approached gave me a 3 book contract, and, at the time, I didn't appreciate how lucky that was.  The second journey began after I'd married and been teaching for a few years, writing as Sheila Haigh. I wrote 8 children's novels which were published in UK and America, and they were popular. But that was an intensive time for me and I felt type cast into doing a 'next in the series'. Journey number 3 is where I am now, and it hasn't been so easy. I was determined to re-invent myself and write from the heart as Sheila Jeffries, and, for the first time in my life I wanted to be up front about my interest in spirituality and healing. My lucky break came at the Winchester Annual Writers Conference when Solomon's Tale was spotted by a top agent, Judith Murdoch.

What is the biggest myth about being a novelist?

People think I sit in a tree and write poetry.

What advice would you give to readers who want to write a novel?

First, read, read and read. Then, just get on with it. Don't worry about it being perfect. Once you have a rough copy, you can transform it. And go to writer’s circles and conferences whenever you can.

What are you working on at the moment?

I am writing a 3 book saga about an inherited gift of clairvoyance in a family and the jealousy and prejudice which tried to destroy it. I'm also writing a new children's book, and a non-fiction book, FOREST OF DREAMS, a true story which you can see on my website http://www.sheilajeffries.com/ 

What are your top five writing tips?

1- Don't procrastinate. Just get on with it.

2- Read your work aloud.

3- Watch people, (discreetly!) and build your characters from details of behaviour, body language and try to see the real person in the eyes.

4- Join a writers circle, and if there isn't one, start one.

5- If you are stuck, write a different section of your novel. You can fit it all together later.

The biographical information and photo used in this post are with thanks to the authors publisher and the following websites, where you can also find more information about the author and her writing. 

Amazon - Solomon's Tale   Goodreads - Previous Books  Sheila Jeffries - Author's Official Website