When we seek happiness outside of ourselves, we are being perfectly human; but it is the person who looks within and changes what they don’t like, that truly ends up being happy. Such reminders are abundant in these days but rarely is a book fictionally interesting and captivating, yet also inspiring and even meditative in it’s unfolding. Dat Phan has penned a novel, “The Changing River,” that will leave readers looking within and building their own bridges over troubled waters.
Mr. Dubois enters the novel as a cranky drunk who leers at women, complains about life, and finds his only moments of connection with prostitutes. He’s been fired from work and at a moment when all seems to be caving in on him, he is given a helping hand by Rice Boy. Rice Boy loses his own job to simply help the drunken man home. This reaching out is the beginning of great change. Over time, Mr. Dubois has realizations that leave him knowing what steps he has to take. Volunteering as a clown in a hospital leads him to quit drinking. He goes back to school and eventually becomes a guidance counselor. But a voyage awaits him. He finds Rice Boy in the forest and the two become intense friends. This relationship leads Rice Boy to some realizations as well, including one of his wife. Mr. Dubois has more to learn and more to teach, and since we are all teacher and student, he has much to accomplish. He travels and finds home in various interesting places, including a hut high up in a tree, living like the monkeys.
The tale is classic and the writing is flowing, poetic, and calming. The descriptions evoke moments of meditation and deep thought, while the story carries the reader down one man’s river of life. His encounters are mostly easy to relate to (with exception to the tigers); his inner struggles are ones that many will understand all too well. It seems that most readers will find inspiration in these words and hopefully some guidance in their own lives, but surely they will enjoy the read. I hope to see more from Dat Phan in the future. For more information about this book and its author, see .
The Changing River, A Meditative Fiction - Book Review
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