Finalist for the Governor General's Award for Fiction
Finalist for the Commonwealth Book Prize
Longlisted for the International DUBLIN Literary Award
"I love this book's vivid realization and its deft weave of conspiracies. I especially admire Lam's ability to transport a reader. . . . A colourful, suspenseful depiction of Chinese living in Vietnam during the war." —The Globe and Mail
"It's that street-level view of a story we're more accustomed to viewing in panorama that ultimately makes Lam's novel so effective and affecting. In stages so subtle they're scarcely noticeable until he's got you fully in his grip, Lam combines elements of historical fiction, political thriller and domestic drama to present one of the 20th century's defining stories in a whole new way. The Headmaster's Wager is more than just an absorbing read. It's a testament and memorial in fiction to a community that no longer exists." —The Gazette (Montreal)
"Lam marshals his characters with humor, suspense, and tenderness as the fall of Saigon looms. Even as Percival navigates the minefield of shifting ideologies, treachery, and paranoia—incurring one inconceivable cost upon another—his devotion suffuses every page. Lam depicts a world caught in an implacable cycle of violence, leavened only by the grace of a father's love." —Publisher's Weekly
"Lam has forged a testament to the immutable power of the filial bond, mapping the conscious and unconscious transmission of gifts and curses of a single family, and therefore all families." —Literary Review of Canada
"Lam has created a hypnotically tragic tale, epic in scope." —Toronto Star
"A compelling, brutal and tragic novel of Shakespearean proportions." —The Ottawa Citizen
"A historic epic, sprawling." —National Post
"Lam writes tellingly about intrigue, political collusion and the clash of cultures." —Kirkus Reviews
"The Headmaster's Wager does what only the very best literature can do: it provides characters you care about deeply (even as they break your heart) and has plot twists you don't see coming but then couldn't imagine any other way. Vincent Lam has written a mature and rewarding novel of the highest quality, and Percival Chen will remain with you long after the final page. This is an exceptional book." —Andrew Davidson, author of The Gargoyle
"The Headmaster's Wager brings to life a vibrant, unforgettable character who struggles for love and survival in a richly detailed evocation of wartime Vietnam. Mr. Lam's tale moved me even as it led through an exotic landscape filled with unthinkable violence, passionate longing, and unbreakable bonds of paternal love. His characters and their story will remain with you." —Mitchell Kaplan, author of By Fire, By Water
Finalist for the Governor General's Award for Fiction
Finalist for the Commonwealth Book Prize
Longlisted for the International DUBLIN Literary Award
"I love this book's vivid realization and its deft weave of conspiracies. I especially admire Lam's ability to transport a reader. . . . A colourful, suspenseful depiction of Chinese living in Vietnam during the war." —The Globe and Mail
"It's that street-level view of a story we're more accustomed to viewing in panorama that ultimately makes Lam's novel so effective and affecting. In stages so subtle they're scarcely noticeable until he's got you fully in his grip, Lam combines elements of historical fiction, political thriller and domestic drama to present one of the 20th century's defining stories in a whole new way. The Headmaster's Wager is more than just an absorbing read. It's a testament and memorial in fiction to a community that no longer exists." —The Gazette (Montreal)
"Lam marshals his characters with humor, suspense, and tenderness as the fall of Saigon looms. Even as Percival navigates the minefield of shifting ideologies, treachery, and paranoia—incurring one inconceivable cost upon another—his devotion suffuses every page. Lam depicts a world caught in an implacable cycle of violence, leavened only by the grace of a father's love." —Publisher's Weekly
"Lam has forged a testament to the immutable power of the filial bond, mapping the conscious and unconscious transmission of gifts and curses of a single family, and therefore all families." —Literary Review of Canada
"Lam has created a hypnotically tragic tale, epic in scope." —Toronto Star
"A compelling, brutal and tragic novel of Shakespearean proportions." —The Ottawa Citizen
"A historic epic, sprawling." —National Post
"Lam writes tellingly about intrigue, political collusion and the clash of cultures." —Kirkus Reviews
"The Headmaster's Wager does what only the very best literature can do: it provides characters you care about deeply (even as they break your heart) and has plot twists you don't see coming but then couldn't imagine any other way. Vincent Lam has written a mature and rewarding novel of the highest quality, and Percival Chen will remain with you long after the final page. This is an exceptional book." —Andrew Davidson, author of The Gargoyle
"The Headmaster's Wager brings to life a vibrant, unforgettable character who struggles for love and survival in a richly detailed evocation of wartime Vietnam. Mr. Lam's tale moved me even as it led through an exotic landscape filled with unthinkable violence, passionate longing, and unbreakable bonds of paternal love. His characters and their story will remain with you." —Mitchell Kaplan, author of By Fire, By Water
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