This post was most recently updated on April 1st, 2013

Publisher: Black Heron Press, June 15, 2012
Category: Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction
Tour Dates: January, 2013
Available in: Print Only , 368 pages

Set in Tonkin (now northern Vietnam) at the turn of the 20th century, Flesh tells the story of a boy who witnesses the execution, by beheading, of his father, a notorious bandit, and sets out to recover his father’s head, and then find the man who betrayed his father to the authorities. A coming-of-age story of brutal self-awakening and also a tender love story, Flesh takes the reader into places, both dark and wonderful, in the human condition where allies are not always your friends, true love hurts, and your worst enemy can bring you the most solace.

Khanh Ha writes of the physical world with such sensuousness that he will make the reader’s heart ache. At the same time, though Flesh is his first novel, his knowledge of the human psyche is that of a fully mature writer. The title refers to temptation—the temptation of the flesh. But it refers equally to the obligations of kinship, the connections between us and those to whom we are related, even if we would choose not to be.

Praise for Flesh:

“In this dark, violent, and poetic saga, with cinematic vignettes that make it read like a screenplay, characters are not who they seem. While this makes for a thrilling finale, what lingers . . . is Ha’s descriptive prose.”- Publishers Weekly

“Readers who enjoy epic sagas set in faraway lands will find absorbing satisfaction here.”- Library Journal

“Read Flesh to lose yourself in a vividly-described colonial Vietnam, with its poverty and hopelessness, its people’s industrious nature at work to better their lives and the lives of those dear to them, all wrapped up in beautiful prose.” –Drey’s Library

“Flesh, Khanh Ha’s debut novel, is almost dreamlike. A dream in that early hours of a hot morning where you are still in between sleeping and waking up. Ha is a talented writer; he does a wonderful job setting the dark, yet poetic, mood and a fine job describing settings in vivid, smells, colorful imagery.”- Seattle Post Intelligencer

FLESH brings Vietnam – at around the turn of the last century – to life. Life was hard, and this book does not spare us. The book opens with a scene . . . an execution. Ha’s powers of description are good, and we are brought into the scene and witness this act. I would recommend this book. Part of what I (and many of you, I suspect) love about reading is being whisked off to an exotic place for an adventure. And Flesh fills the Bill!”- LibbyBooksBlog

“A lush, poetic tale, takes readers on a journey far beneath the surface of a land most have only glimpsed superficially in clichéd Hollywood films. . . .readers willing to venture off the beaten path to an unfamiliar land will find great pleasure exploring Flesh.”- Book Reviews by Elizabeth White

“The story is a sensual one. . . . The prose of Khanh Ha’s debut is laden with sensory details that pull readers into multi-dimensional scenes. . . . The outstanding element of this novel is the solid invitation extended to readers, to enter this world which Khanh Ha has created in Flesh.”- Buried in Print

“This book was really something to read!. . . Somewhere along the way, it broke my heart. . . . The author did not sugar coat this story one bit! It is so unlike anything I have ever read. . . . It blew my mind towards the end!” -Mary Bearden ,Mary’s Cup of Tea Blog

“Unique. The ending was amazing. . . . Ha has the writing skills to make the reader imagine every scene he sets, each mood, every setting. The prose felt poetic at times. Author Khanh Ha is truly a talented writer. I enjoyed the novel and it sits on my shelf as a DARN GOOD READ.”- Reading Rendezvous Reviewz

“The realism of the book certainly made an impression on me. . . . Ha is a master at detailed descriptions to the point that you can see it happening the way the author intended you to. The brutality in the book was descriptive but not to the point that I had to “look away.”—Ruth Hill, My Devotional Thoughts

About Khanh Ha:

Khanh Ha’s debut novel is FLESH (June 2012, Black Heron Press). He graduated from Ohio University with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism.  During his teen years he began writing short stories which won him several awards in the Vietnamese adolescent magazines.

He is at work on a new novel. A short story, reshaped from this novel, will be published by Red Savina Review  in its 2013 Spring inaugural edition. It was also nominated for the Winter Literary Award in the Tethered by Letters Journal but was withrawn because of conflict of interest. Another Ha’s short story will be published in the 2013 February Outside in Literary & Travel Magazine (http://outsideinmagazine.com/)  For further information on FLESH, please follow the links regarding author’s website, blog, professional as well as reader’s reviews (www.authorkhanhha.com).

Buy Flesh in Print at:

Amazon
Barnes and Noble

Follow the Tour:

So Many Precious Books   Jan 7 Review
So Many Precious Books Jan 7 Interview & Giveaway
Eclectic Books & Movies  Jan 8 Review
Eclectic Books & Movies  Jan 9 Interview
She Treads Softly  Jan 10 Review
Book Lover Stop  Jan 11 Guest Post
Broken Teepee Jan 14 Review
MK McClintock  Jan 15 Interview
Joy Story  Jan 16 Review
From L.A. to LA  Jan 17 Review
Books à la Mode Jan 17 Guest Post & Giveaway
A Book Lover’s Library Jan 22 Review
A Book Lover’s Library Jan 23 Interview & Giveaway
Relentless Reader  Jan 23 Review
Joy Story Jan 25 Guest Post
The Wormhole  Jan 25 Interview
Sweeps 4 Bloggers  Jan 25 Review & Giveaway
Ordinary Girlz Reviews  Jan 28 Review & Giveaway
Cuzinlogic Jan 29 Interview
Belle of the Literati Jan 30 Review
Overflowing Bookshelves  Feb 1  Review
Overflowing Bookshelves   Feb 4 Interview
Broken Teepee  Feb 5 Guest post & Giveaway
Book Dilettante  Feb 6 Guest Post