The Headmaster's Wager by Vincent Lam
Recently, Vincent Lam read at the Surrey City Centre Library. He then talked about the writing process, saying he'd conceived of the novel fifteen years ago and taken five years to complete it. For the first four years he floundered around, threw out reams of pages, and sometimes doubted he'd be able to finish. The fifth year, the tale took on a life of its own. After that, the author said, if he had any questions, he had only to ask the story.
The narrative takes place at a pivotal historical moment, a small part of the Tet Offensive of 1968, which Lam calls a psychological turning point for American support of the Vietnam War.
The protagonist, loosely based on Lam's grandfather, is a gambler who runs an English school in Saigon. Percival Chen tries to ignore the political situation around him, but that strategy fails. When his son is threatened at home by power wielders of the regime, Percival must bet on how to ensure the boy's continuing safety.
The decision he makes is dangerous and costly. Afterwards, he must risk the little money he has left to repay an almost ruinous debt. And this is not the last bet Headmaster Chen is involved in; his final wager is the most risky of all; its loss would mean death to all that is dear to him.
Recently published, this novel was a finalist for for the Commonwealth Prize, a high honour. Lam is a past winner of the Giller (Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures), which was made into a TV series. He has another novel in the works.