* I apologize if this is a repeat, I can't seem to find it in my list of posts*
I have heard that John Shors is an amazing writer, but after having finishing Dragon House I can say for sure that John Shors is a phenomenal writer. He manages to imbue this story with such tenderness, heartache, and hope that, as a reader, you can’t help but cheer the characters along and cry with them during the darkness. Dragon House is a story about healing deep invisible wounds, about family, hope, and the courage to face every new day.
This is the story of Iris and Noah, Mai and Minh, Thien, Sahn, Qui, Tam, and Vietnam. All affected by war and tragedy the characters in this story are drawn together by pain, suffering, kindess, and hope. They flock to the light that a Center for Street Children in Ho Chi Min City offers. Shors has the impressive ability to transport the reader from their safe, clean home to the dirt and heat and wonder of big the Vietnamese city. Even the squalid conditions that the street children endure take on a magical quality. I don’t mean that dirty disease ridden quarters are anything to be desired, but more that they lend themselves to a fairy tale element. Mai and Minh sleep under a bridge in a reed basket they found in the river. While they may be physically trapped into terrible conditions, their minds are free to dream until an almost magical encounter takes them away from their home under the bridge. In this way its almost like Cinderella, but the real old Cinderella story where the wicked stepmother and stepsisters gets punished for their cruelty.
Without giving too much away, my favorite character in this story is Sahn. At first I wondered if he would turn out to be the villain in this tale. He was too consumed with anger at the Americans for their involvement in Vietnam. But as the story progressed his edges softened and his belief in the future of Vietnam and the worry he has for the street children begin to show. At one point in the story he compares himself to the bird in Rikki Tikki Tavi who warns the brave mongoose about Nag and Nagina’s evil plans. I can see this comparison, but in my opinion Sahn was more of an old dragon. Dragons are very important in this story. They represent bravery, strength and purity. Sahn is a dragon because he wears the mask of the strong, ferocious beast but inside he is really loyal, brave, and compassionate.
I really love stories that can make you forget where you are because you are so immersed in what’s going on inside this make believe world. Its a skill that I admire in writers and John Shors certainly has it. I was sitting in a Chinese restaurant, frantically trying to finish this novel and just bawling as I was reading. I had no idea that this story would affect me so deeply but it quietly sucks you into caring about everyone and wanting to make sure they are happy and stay that way. If you are looking for a touching, modern tale of family, discovery, and love then this is something you should definitely check out, just make sure you have a box of tissues handy as you get farther into the story.
