“Piper is every young woman who
sees too much, questions the status quo, and falls in love.”
—Marcia Bradley, author of The Home for Wayward Girls
It’s 1968 and the world is on fire. The Vietnam War is at its deadliest, protests rage across the globe, and in Bangkok, Thailand, a young American woman falls for a disillusioned GI and has her world turned upside down with consequences that echo far into the future.
“Historical fiction at its best.”
—Catherine Filloux, librettist of Where Elephants Weep
“A complete page turner.”
—John Fried, author of The Martin Chronicles
ON SALE MAY 5, 2026
A Novel by Daria Sommers
In 1968 Bangkok, Thailand, 17-year-old Piper Lewis’ world is changing in unsettling ways. The U.S. Military’s expansion into Thailand in support of the Vietnam War is reshaping the city she loves. Her USAID Official father’s mysterious absences fray their once-close relationship. Her stepmother’s obsession with appearances suffocates her. Worse, she can’t summon the passion to bring Beethoven’s Pathetique Sonata to life. Only her beloved piano teacher, a Thai Prince, senses the depth of her disconnect.
One night, Piper ditches the American Teen Club to party with an older crowd. Sparks fly when she meets Jack, a 19-year-old GI on R&R from Vietnam. Defying the Army’s non-fraternization policy, they pledge to spend his leave together. As the hypocrisy of the war closes in on them, Jack’s name surfaces in a drug investigation and Piper discovers a disturbing truth about her father, forcing both to decide what they are willing to risk for a few more days together.
Sawadika American Girl is the story of a young American woman coming of age on the periphery of a brutal, unjust war.
About the Author
Daria Sommers is a writer and filmmaker who grew up in Bangkok, Thailand. A graduate of Oberlin College, she has received grants from the New York State Council on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Sundance Institute, and has been awarded fellowships from the MacDowell Colony and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. Her essays, op-eds and reviews have been widely published including the Ginosko Literary Journal, Woman Around Town, Art New England and The New York Times. Daria is currently the Managing Editor of VBC Magazine.
Advance Praise
“Daria Sommers’s stunning historical coming-of-age novel offers an unexpected take on the US presence in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War as seen through the eyes of Piper, an American diplomat’s daughter, thrust into a world unlike any she has ever known. Piper’s experience of the trials of young adulthood—navigating friendships, family life, even romance—is made ever more engaging when framed against this vibrant landscape. A complete page turner, Sawadika American Girl stayed with me long after I read its heartbreaking final chapter.”
—John Fried, author of The Martin Chronicles
“Sawadika American Girl is a truly special love story. Love of family, diverse cultures, and friendship. An American teen living in Bangkok, Piper is every young woman who sees too much, questions the status quo, and falls in love. Set in 1960s Thailand, Piper and Jack’s love affair will linger with readers for years; everyone will recall their own special person, that first soulmate who touched their heart.”
—Marcia Bradley, author of The Home for Wayward Girls
“When Sommers transports her heroine halfway around the world, she sweeps her readers along with her. Sawadika American Girl is one of those rare adventures worth taking!”
—Kathryn Johnson, bestselling author of The Gentleman Poet and The Death of a Maven
“Evocative, immersive and beautifully written, Sawadika American Girl is historical fiction at its best. With seventeen-year-old Piper as our narrator, this intimate portrait of an American family in Thailand during the Vietnam War is a fresh, soulful take on our tragic involvement in Southeast Asia.”
—Catherine Filloux, award-winning playwright and librettist of Where Elephants Weep