Don't Break My Rice Bowl: A beautiful and gripping novel, highlighting the personal and tragic struggles faced during the Vietnam War, bringing the late author and his 'forgotten' manuscript to life

by Robert H Dodd, Patricia Rykiel, Beth Jackson

Overview

Feeling life is slipping him by, an American agriculturalist heads to Vietnam to try and make a difference in the lives of the people as part of President Johnson's 'Hearts and Minds' campaign. There is just one big problem - there's a war going on.

Eddie joins a small group of civilian advisors chosen to work with local farmers to help make Vietnam once again self-sufficient in rice. He is drawn to the adventure, the challenge, and the opportunity to make a difference, but he is leaving some problems behind.

His story follows the ups and downs of cultural and tropical agriculture training in Washington DC and the Philippines, and then his assignment in the Gia Dinh province just outside Saigon. The stakes increase as the war intensifies and Eddie's connections in the country deepen, providing the backdrop for the cultural, political and personal struggles that unfold.

This fictional memoir shines a light on a relatively unknown part of Vietnam War history as elements of Asian history and culture, including the introduction of 'miracle rice', are woven into the challenges of being a civilian trying to work - and live - in a war zone.

The Foreword by his daughter, an Afterword by his second wife, the Appendix, and 25 hand painted illustrations by his granddaughter provide added poignant layers to the story. The fragility of life was the late author's parting lesson; however, these words left behind were his ultimate gift.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781739615536
Publisher:	Holey Jumper Press
Publication date:	04/14/2023
Edition description:	2nd ed.
Pages:	306
Sales rank:	640,124
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.69(d)

About the Author

Robert's early years were spent as a Geordie in South Shields, England, living in poverty on a working class street. World War II broke out when he was three - making him witness to the forceful German bombing campaign overhead. At nine he emigrated to America with his mother. After high school, Robert signed up for three years in the US Navy, closely followed by Cornell University to join the undergraduate 'Aggies' studying Biological & Agricultural Science. After graduation he began his career as a County Agricultural Agent in Upstate New York. From 1966 to 1987, he worked as an International Agricultural Advisor and Consultant. He received the USAID's Meritorious Honour Award for outstanding contributions to the Accelerated Rice Production Programme and the USA Medal of Civilian Service in Vietnam. In 1987, he died unexpectedly in New York City. There are three Don't Break My Rice Bowl collaborators. With Patricia and Justine Rykiel in the UK and Beth Jackson in the USA, they worked together across the miles - and time zones - to bring this 'forgotten' manuscript to life.

Patricia attended FDU's Florham campus (New Jersey) in the late 80s to early 90s, graduating summa cum laude. Her bachelor's degree major was Political Science. This was followed by a master's degree in Broadcast Journalism at UMD (Maryland). She worked as a computer trainer (Washington, DC) in the 1990s, and has been running her own technology consulting business the last 20 years. She was the UK voice of Avast the antivirus for a time - meaning, she knows how to say 'threat has been detected' with gusto! Patricia was also the creator (and voice) of a technology segment for a syndicated American radio show. She is wife to David and mum to Cameron and Justine. Patricia lived in the US for a year in 1984, and from 1987 to 2000; she moved back to the UK with her family in 2000.

Beth has a bachelor's degree from Miami U (Ohio) in International Studies, and master's degrees in Technical Writing (BGSU, Ohio); Special Education (UMaine); and Library & Information Science (USC, South Carolina). She has worked in research and editorial roles, but she most loved her 27 years as an educator in Blue Hill, Maine where she established the K-8 school library and worked with teachers and students to bring learning and an awareness of the larger world alive. She also played tenor in a community steel drum band for 25 years. She and her second husband Ross now live in Arizona where they miss sea kayaking and the Maine woods, but where they enjoy exploring the wonders of the desert and playing banjo and guitar together.

Table of Contents

Foreword

Prologue:The Jog

PART ONE

Hearts and Minds

RICE

Davinia and Rosita

PART TWO

Saigon,'the Pearl of the Far East'

The Docks

Colonel Horst

The Orphanage

The Cooperative

Ted

Dynamo Will

Very Big Luck

Zoom

The VIPs

Carl

Village Piglets

Marshmallow and Cricket

House Party

PART THREE

Lunar New Year, 1968

Deadly Believers

The Weed Killers

Evil Machine

Broken Rice Bowls

Face-Off

Love Song

Afterword

APPENDIX

A Vietnam Vet's Book Review

Character List

Writer Inspiration

Robert H. Dodd, Overseas Assignment Life

Acknowledgements and Thanks

Book Club Questions

The Team DBMRB Bios

Editorial Reviews

'What a brilliant, moving and vivid "through the looking glass" book this is. An irresistible read; beautiful, cover to cover.'

-Gareth J. Mitchell, Presenter, BBC World Service

'Don't Break My Rice Bowl is an inspiring story - showing one man's dedication to helping others - at considerable personal cost. It is also instructive - revealing the limits of such dedication. I can only imagine what it meant to Robert Dodd's daughter to find this "hidden treasure".'

-Dr Kenneth Greene, Retired Chair of Social Sciences & History Department, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Madison, NJ, USA

'From the fundamentals of getting food on the table, to the role and impact of fathers, from ambitions to benevolence, not to mention a "Godless" war, there is something for everyone. If I were back in the classroom, I'd teach this book in a heartbeat. It would encourage a plethora of classroom conversation!'

-Nicholas M. Guarracino, Editor and former English Teacher

'To the thousands of histories, memoirs, and novels of America's Vietnam Experience, this is a laudable addition, a descriptive, fast-paced story told from the point of view, not of a combatant, journalist or citizen, but by a civilian agricultural expert inspired by the miracle of rice. Eddie represents the America and the Americans who really wanted to make life better for the Vietnamese. This thought-provoking book deserves a place in the light (not in a dark drawer from where it came!). It is about survival, and so much more than a story of war.'

-Dr Peter J. Woolley, American Political Scientist

'The making of Don't Break My Rice Bowl brought Dad back to me, one more time. I never expected this. It feels like we have had one last conversation, one I thought we would never have.

-Patricia Rykiel

From the Publisher