FIELDS OF POPPIES AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE by Etienne Oggeri

Trafford Publishing
Victoria, BC V8T 4P4 Canada
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: Very Good
ISBN: 1425101372, $25.00, 340 pp.

This tale is about a man, Karl Haze, and the wealth he acquired from the fields of poppies–the opium trade. Sergeant Karl Haze of the French Foreign Legion fought in Morocco, the mountains of Tonkin and against the Montagnard Djarais and Rhades–rebel tribes. It begins with his capture and torture by a Djarai tribe and its impotent king. King Y’Siap forced Karl to impregnate three of his wives and eventually the half-blinded Karl killed the demonic king, became the new king of exceptional wealth, and established a benevolent society.

There are no chapters in this tale, just part one and part two. Part one is about Karl and his life and part two is about one of his sons, Carlos, and his life. Etienne Oggeri is a good writer and the story is very interesting, as there are not too many novels written about the area around Vietnam. Oggeri states on the back cover that this is a true story told to him by the Montagnards, his hunting companions, and then confirmed by Diep, a former drug dealer; however, I feel that it reads like a fairytale with exceptionally beautiful women and handsome men.

Towards the end of Karl’s life, he wanted to tell the truth about himself to his wife, Yolande, and his son, Carlos. Quoting from page 205:

"Karl laughed, ‘Killing, I have done that, but I was also a drug dealer. I became rich by selling opium.’

‘Karl, you sold people what they wanted to buy. You did not force them to buy anything,’ Yolande said with relief.

‘I think like Yolande, papa. But tell us how you did that. Your life is like a fascinating novel.’"

And so it is. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.