An All Black star leaves behind his fairytale life, including the woman he loves, to do his bit in the Vietnam War. But he's unprepared for what he is about to experience there - from the decimated villages and the constant fear of attack, to his growing respect for the people of Vietnam. This is the setting for Levin based Carole Brungar's book, The Nam Legacy. As Lynn Freeman discovers, the novel is quite a change from her usual genre of romantic writing.