Former Sonoma Index-Tribune Editor, Publisher Bill Lynch releases debut novel

Former editor and publisher of the Sonoma Index-Tibune Bill Lynch has released his debut novel, “Mekong Belle: Love’s Impossible Choice,” now available at Readers’ Books in Sonoma.

On Jan. 17, Readers’ Books is hosting a reception at 5:30 p.m. and a reading from Lynch at 6. The book was published in December 2023 by Hellgate Press of Ashland, Oregon.

A love story set during the Vietnam War, Lynch’s novel tells the tale two characters who meet a small bookstore in the Mekong Delta port city of Vung Tau.

Navy Ensign Rob Allen arrives in Vietnam assigned to a modern version of a Mississippi River showboat. He meets Melanie Marquis also known as Tran Vi Gian, who manages as best she can to survive during a violent civil war where standing neutral keeps her at odds with all sides.

Born in Vietnam and orphaned as a child, Melanie gains an education in France from the a French woman living in Vietnam who adopted her. Melanie longs to become a journalist to tell the story of her country’s struggle from the inside.

Lynch said although it is set during the height of the war, “Mekong Belle: Love’s Impossible Choice” is not a war story.

“It’s a love story with a delayed happy ending; and if a novel could have a soundtrack, this one would be a lot like the one in the movie ‘American Graffiti,’ set during the same era,” Lynch said.

The former Index-Tribune editor and publisher served in Vietnam as a Navy officer on a small amphibious ship in the Mekong Delta from 1967-68.

Lynch was inspired to write his novel upon returning to Vietnam in 2018, he said.

“The country's remarkable recovery from the ravages of that war and the genuine friendliness of the Vietnamese people made a huge impression on me, as did the pervasive evidence of their fondness for American culture, especially music.”

Following his return to Vietnam, Lynch discovered the music American troops brought with them in the ‘60s and ‘70s remained, both in its original form as well as many updated variations.

“Those of us who served in Vietnam during the war brought our songs with us. It was how we stayed connected to home,” he said. “We played them on portable record players, recorders and the radio.”

The music plus the welcoming nature of the Vietnamese people is what inspired him to bring the novel to life, Lynch said.

“If we brought guitars, we played for whoever would listen. Music was present in every barracks, mess hall, tent, bunker, hooch and foxhole.”

The tone of “Mekong Belle: Love’s Impossible Choice” may be familiar to readers of historical fiction, romantic comedies and musicals like “South Pacific,” the screen adaptation of James Michener’s “Tales of the South Pacific.”

Lynch said his novel also shares commonalities with another of Michener’s novels, “Sayonara,” which was adapted into a film starring Marlin Brando.

“Readers will also probably notice the influence of the television series, “M.A.S.H.,” Lynch said. “Most of us who served in Vietnam relate to the anti-war humor and satire that made it such a unique and remarkable success.”

Rosie Lee Parks, events coordinator at Readers’ Books, said, “We're really excited because Bill is such a great guy. He's been part of the local scene for a long time and everybody's been reading his nonfiction for ages. So it's lovely to know he's branching out into the world of novels,. It should be really good.”

Lee Parks feels Lynch will bring something personal to the story as a Vietnam veteran. And as a prominent member of the community, Lynch will likely bring in many excited readers to the bookstore’s event on Wednesday evening.

During the war, Lynch wrote many letters home to his parents and discovered they saved every one of them.

“I relied on that stash of old letters, plus a journal I kept at the time to link the story to actual military and historical aspects of my experience. The rest is fiction,” he said.

“Its characters, except for some historical figures, are fictional. They are, however, a reflection of the Americans with whom I served, and the Vietnamese people I got to know ― good people making the best of a situation in which they were forced to make impossible choices, or had no choice at all.”

You can reach Staff Writer Emma Molloy at emma.molloy@sonomanews.com.