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Time Intertwined

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A heart wrenching but deeply satisfying read that takes us into the characters' world to see and feel the human cost of a terrible war.

Time Intertwined is Kaylon Bruner Tran’s first novel. She should write more. She has an admirable ability to create characters who take you into their world and make you keenly feel their pains and their joys.


Mikayla Thomas grew up in Denver, Colorado, as the twin sister of Sydney, loved and well cared for by parents, John and Janine. She trained as a doctor, married, and had children. She lives happily with her Nigerian husband and their kids, close to where her mother and beloved Korean grandmother, Sookie, live. Practicing as a doctor, she specializes in Maternal-Fetal medicine. Her own children were born prematurely, but eventually thrived. It never occurred to her to question whether something in her own background might have led to difficulties in her pregnancies.


Twin sister, Sydney, adopted a daughter. The two sisters are close and see each other often, exchanging special gifts at Christmas.


On the other side of the world, the Nguyen and Pham families decide the fate of their children, arranging the marriage of Lin Mai and farmer Long Vinh in accordance with tradition. The couple produce four children and are raising them happily on Long Vinh’s farm when the war between North and South Vietnam begins. Forced to flee, the family resettles further South, in French-controlled territory. But there are more challenges ahead.


Kaylon Bruner Tran takes us into the heart of a country torn apart by war. Through the eyes of Lin Mai’s daughters, Ahn and Minh, we see and feel the challenges and pains endured by the Vietnamese people and the hideous consequences of a terrible war. We cheer for the girls as they struggle to survive after losing their parents and brothers. We applaud their strength and ingenuity as they shape new lives for themselves. Tran has us on the edge of our seats as she places Anh on the precipice of a new life. Will she and her child make it to freedom and safety?


Meanwhile, Mikayla faces a challenge of an entirely different kind when she and Sydney take DNA tests.


Tran’s emotive story comes to a surprising but deeply satisfying conclusion thanks, ultimately, to the miracle of DNA tests. The ending might prompt some readers to spit in a vial and investigate their own origins. Regardless, though, the ending will leave you deeply satisfied after sharing Anh and Mikayla’s tumultuous but vastly different journeys.


Time Intertwined is a heart wrenching read. But it’s a beautiful story, masterfully told by a talented author who has clearly done extensive research and knows both her subject and her characters. I loved it. If you love a deeply emotive story with memorable characters, and one that offers rare insight into the human cost of war, this story will please.

 

 

Reviewed by

An author, editor, mentor and publisher, I have a passion for great stories. I review for Readers Favorite. I formerly reviewed for Throw the Book. I also review independently. I especially love good character-driven stories. I love to support new and emerging writers.

Mikayla and Family

About the author

Kaylon Bruner Tran, PhD is best known for her research examining endometriosis. When her sons were little, she was annoyed that so many cartoons included an evil scientist and made up stories about good scientists to tell them at bedtime. Now that her sons are in college, she is writing for adults. view profile

Published on May 12, 2021

70000 words

Contains mild explicit content ⚠️

Genre: Historical Fiction

Reviewed by