Audio editions of 10 giller prizewinning books available for free for next two. Listen to the headmasters wager by vincent lam available from rakuten kobo. Browse audiobooks written by vincent lam sorted by best. From giller prize winner, internationally acclaimed, and bestselling author vincent lam comes a superbly crafted, highly suspenseful, and deeply affecting novel set. The headmasters wager has the makings of a masterpiece. The chinese headmaster of an english language academy tries to keep body, soul and school together in saigon during the vietnam war. Best new books for week of august, 2012 publishers weekly, august, 2012.
The story of percival chen, an expatriate chinese, the headmaster of the best english academy in viet name, is fascinating. The audible narrator is excellent as well i went from the audiobook to the kindle version and back throughout the book. The headmasters wager takes us through all the historical developments that lead up to the vietnam war from the perspective of percival chen, a chinese headmaster of saigons most prestigious english. In 1966, chen pie sou, also known as percival, is the headmaster of percival. Then you can start reading kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer no kindle device required. Buy the paperback book the headmasters wager by vincent lam at indigo. Vincent lam is a page turner project bookmark canada, april 10, 20. Reading guide for the headmasters wager by vincent lam. Percival chen is the headmaster of the most respected english academy in 1960s saigon, and he is well accustomed to bribing a foreverchanging list of. Audio book sample courtesy of penguin random house audio. Available on kindle ebook and can be read on any device with the free. Percivals newfound happiness is precarious, and as the complexities of war encroach further and further into his world, he must confront the tragedy of all he has refused to see. Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of hogarth books.
Percival chen is the headmaster of the most respected english school in saigon. Vincent lams debut novel the headmasters wager hogarth is suspense, humor, and tenderness set against the backdrop of 1960s saigon. The fairy tales of hermann hesse audiobook narrated by donovan phoenix audio 1999 asin. From giller prize winner, internationally acclaimed, and bestselling author vincent lam comes a superbly crafted, highly suspenseful, and deeply affecting novel set against the turmoil of the vietnam war.
Feodor chin percival chen is the headmaster of the most respected english school in saigon. He is also a bon vivant, a compulsive gambler, and an incorrigible womanizer. Audio editions of 10 giller prizewinning books available for free for next. There was a lot of money to be made as a result of the war, but the. The headmasters wager is published in america by hogarth prees, in canada by doubleday, and in the uk and australia by fourth estate. The headmasters wager by vincent lam hogarth hardcover, 2012 426 pages a copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher through tlc book tours the headmasters wager is a.
The headmasters wager audiobook vincent lam audible. He is well accustomed to bribing a foreverchanging list of government officials in order to maintain the elite status of the chen academy. Lam goes for the jugular, combining an operatic love story. The headmasters wager by vincent lam percival chen is the headmaster of the most respected english academy in 1960s saigon, and he is well accustomed to bribing a foreverchanging. The headmasters wager by vincent lam overdrive rakuten. Giller prizewinner vincent lams novel is a colourful but flawed tale of chinese. Percival chen is the headmaster of the most respected english academy in 1960s. The headmasters wager brings to life a vibrant, unforgettable character who struggles for love and survival in a richly detailed evocation of wartime vietnam.
Listen to thousands of best sellers and new releases on your iphone, ipad, or android. The headmaster s wager longlisted for 20 andrew carnegie medals for excellence in fiction american library association, april 23, 20. The headmasters wager by vincent lam, paperback barnes. Graced with intriguingly flawed but wonderfully human characters moving through a richly drawn historical landscape, the headmasters wager is an unforgettable story of love, betrayal and sacrifice. Percival chen is the headmaster of the most respected english academy in 1960s saigon, and he is well accustomed to bribing a. A superbly crafted, highly suspenseful, and deeply affecting debut novel about one mans loyalty to his country, his family and his heritage percival chen is the headmaster of the most respected english. It inhabits the war that was going on beneath the surface of the vietnam war. Other medical jobs have included international air evacuation and expedition medicine on arctic and antarctic ships. The author takes full advantage of the inherent suspense as the fall of saigon looms and chen finally realizes that he and his family may not survive the violence of the viet cong. Vincent lams book is amazing, beautiful, and painful. Where does the headmasters wager rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far. The headmasters wager is a novel full of surprises and excitement.
The headmasters wager by vincent lam published by doubleday canada publication date. Chen pie sou renamed percival chen is the eponymous headmaster, in charge of the percival chen english academy, which was formerly the rice warehouse of his father. In your opinion, which is the most significant of the headmasters wagers. Buy a cheap copy of the headmasters wager book by vincent lam. Set against the backdrop of the vietnam war, the headmasters wager by vincent lam is a plotdriven, cultural, and generational story of the fatherandson relationship as represented in the. Blessed with intriguingly flawed characters moving through a richly drawn historical and. The headmasters wager, book by vincent lam paperback. Enjoying his position as the headmaster of saigons best english school while indulging in a gambling and womanizing lifestyle, percival chen. Praise for the headmasters wager a sumptuously plotted first novel. The headmasters wager by vincent lam is a great page turner. Any page references refer to a usa edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other. Giller prizewinner vincent lams novel is a colourful but flawed tale of.
Hot off the presses the headmasters wager, my latest book and my debut novel, is about percival chen, a chinese compulsive gambler and headmaster of. Chen, the protagonist of this novel set during the vietnam war, is a chinese immigrant who heads the most prestigious englishlanguage school in saigon, the eponymous percival chen english academy. The headmasters wager and over one million other books are available for amazon kindle. Percivals newfound happiness is precarious, and as the complexities of war encroach further and further into his world.
In the headmasters wager, lam has created a genuine pageturner. The globe and mail a novel of many twists and turns, full of people who arent what they appear to belam has created a. The headmasters wager by vincent lam penguin random house. The headmaster of the most respected english school in saigon, percival chen is also a bon vivant, a compulsive gambler and an incorrigible womanizer. In your opinion, which is the most significant of the headmaster s wagers. Cultural, fiction, historical in 1930 percival chens father left him and his. Start a free 30day trial today and get your first audiobook free. The headmaster s wager is shortlisted for 20 commonwealth book prize commonwealth writers, april 09, 20.
Percival chen is the headmaster of the most respected english academy in 1960s saigon, and he is well accustomed to. The headmasters wager gives us a picture of life for the common people in and around saigon during the war. Percival chen is the headmaster of the most respected english academy in 1960s saigon and is well accustomed to. The headmasters wager winnipeg public library overdrive. The headmasters wager possesses everything i look for in a book. The headmasters wager is also available in audio book format. The narrator was very skilled at reading what could have been a very complicated book.
The headmasters wager, by vincent lam the globe and mail. Listen to headmasters wager audiobook by vincent lam. What has been your own greatest wager in life so far. Inspired by lams own family history, the headmasters wager tells the story of. The headmasters wager and millions of other books are available for instant access. Born in london, ontario and raised in ottawa, his parents came to canada from the chinese expatriate community in vietnam. How to write a novel about your family by vincent lam.
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