First novels, as The Lotus Eaters is, are usually some of the finest reads. But the plot of this book was like an endless loop: the heroine, Helen Adams, is afraid of photographing the Vietnam war and equally afraid of what the other journalists think of her. Then she faces her fears, is successful, and goes on to cover the next battle, afraid of photographing the ... you get the picture. I saw no real character development and we know as much about Helen at the end of the book as at the beginning. The plot slogs along, with some predictable events. What redeems this book, however slightly, is the insight it gives into the Vietnamese culture.