Three Joss Sticks in the Rain

Peter M. Bourret taps into his experience as a Marine combat veteran of the Vietnam War, offering the reader a glimpse into the crucible of war in his first novel. Three Joss Sticks In The Rain is much more than a war story in the traditional sense. The tragic events of one day during the 1968 Tet Offensive know no boundaries. A gone-wrong ambush profoundly impacts the lives of four major characters, who serve dual roles as narrators, offering the audience four subjective views of reality. Two of the narrators, an eighteen-year-old Vietnamese woman and her older brother--both members of the Viet Cong--offer their unique perspectives. The other two narrators are US Marines; although they dislike one another, their lives remained connected for over 30 years after they served together in Vietnam. Bourret's novel-a tapestry of cruelty, compassion, selfishness, courage, loss, transformation, hate, acceptance, deceit, brotherhood and redemption-follows the characters on a three-decade search for resolution. Opportunities arise for redemption and healing, but they are not always taken. The human spirit offers hope for a positive transformation but without guarantees. In Bourret's novel, certain characters live a lie or are consumed with anger while others choose Robert Frost "Road Less Traveled" on their circuitous journeys of healing.