When Saigon-based American writer Daniel Spero first reviewed the manuscript for “An Emissary from Heaven”, his first comment was that the life story of Phi Nhung should be the basis for an international film release.
Daniel—whose editorial work guided the Metro Writers team in producing the story of Phi Nhung’s early life—has lived in Vietnam for more than a decade. The single father of a Vietnamese daughter, he found the story of Nhung’s struggles as a mixed-race child extremely touching, commenting that even today children like his daughter still sometimes face discriminatory treatment. For Daniel, the most powerful message of Phi Nhung’s life is her love and self-sacrifice for Vietnam in spite of the pain of her childhood.
Daniel is the author of many books of his own (http://bit.ly/danielspero-az) including “A Life in Saigon” and “Hun King the Ice-Head”, revealing the sometimes painful (and often hilarious) experiences of a foreigner’s life in Vietnam, unashamed to reveal both beautiful and dark moments.
Daniel, who is scheduled to move to Virginia in the new year, has devoted much of his life to Vietnam and has enormous respect for the talent and good heart of singer Phi Nhung. He will continue to contribute to Metro Writers’ future projects, including the new editions and formats for telling Phi Nhung’s story we hope to develop in 2023.