Book Review: The Foreigner's Confession

Emily is the main character of The Foreigner's Confession by Lya Badgley. She is a lawyer who experienced a horrific car accident that nearly cost her life. It did take the life of her husband, her unborn daughter, and left her without a portion of her leg. After months of depression, she decides to use her skills to help others in Cambodia - and that is where the story takes a very unusual twist - the appearance of another woman, Milijana, who is long-dead!

The Foreigner's Confession is a dual timeline, dual point of view historical fiction mystery. I love seeing how other authors handle differing timelines and POVs, and Lya did so masterfully. This book also gave me some insights into the Vietnam war and the aftereffects in Cambodia, neither of which I understand well.

Of course, what I love most are the characters. I immediately connected with Emily and her desire to help others who were less fortunate. However, I also understood her boss's resentment of Amercians coming in to fix problems "in order to make themselves feel better." It really made me think about how, why, and where I do service. Who is it for? And am I truly being helpful or just allaying my conscious?
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I'm really excited to interview Lya for Online for Authors this week, and I'll be sure to post the link to the podcast when it airs. Until then, I highly recommend The Foreigner's Confession, especially if you are looking for a historical fiction that explores a time and place often left untouched by authors!