Tom Randall's Washington to Manila flight makes an emergency landing in Phnom Penh. As the story unfolds, we learn more about the life of Randall's mysterious relative and his struggle to redeem his past mistakes. Stopover is  also available for downloading at the iBookstore

A Stopover in Phnom Penh


John Rouse's first novel Sendero...delivers a fast-paced, satisfying plot with details and emotions to which many RPCVs can relate. From the opening chapter... down to the last chapter when all is redeemed, Rouse's writing kept me feeling that something big was just about to happen. 

Peace Corps Writers Blog


What works in this story are the reminiscences and the sharing of the simple trajectories of the lives of individuals, coming back together for a long time, with characters that are warm and real and wise....

Kirkus Reviews



Other Writing

Café Bonne Chance

The late afternoon sun flickered through the trees and played a shadow game along the pathway in front of my sidewalk café in the park. It was near closing time, a time to relax and reflect on years gone by, so I sat down at one of the empty tables, lit a cigarette, and gazed at the young couple as they headed off arm-in-arm. It had been a good day. (See Short Story)