"the american couple" is the longest story in the collection at 80 pages. it is narrated by a vietnamese woman named gabrielle on vacation in puerto vallarta, mexico. they meet an american couple, frank and eileen. frank is a vietnam veteran who is eager to talk about his experiences. vinh and frank begin a strange and secretive relationship in which hostilities are sometimes manifested concerning their respective roles in the vietnam war. the story is told from the perspective of vinh's wife, who has had little access to her husband's experiences as a soldier. it is an outsider's perspective of vietnam veterans, which is why frank and vinh are observed at a distance.