In her debut novel, Palaia, a former Peace Corps volunteer who has lived in Nepal, Hong Kong, and Ho Chi Minh City, explores the socio-cultural legacy of the Vietnam War by tracing its lasting effects on one Montana family. Though Riley is just eleven when her brother is declared MIA somewhere near Cu Chi, his disappearance shapes the course of her life; she feels the loss as she moves to San Francisco, holds a series of dead-end jobs, gives up her son, and experiences the turbulent ‘60s becoming the chaotic ‘70s. She is finally able to appease her restlessness by making a pilgrimage to Vietnam—only to be called back to come to terms with her family.
