THE DIPLOMAT
Debut Novel by Robin Hamilton-Coates
It’s 2004. The Diplomat hurtles headlong into the aftermath of the Indian Ocean Tsunami. As a first responder, he focuses immediately on action, coordinating relief efforts, helping survivors in distress and identifying human remains.
Tormented by clumsy bureaucrats, he faces pressure from media and families to locate loved ones and turn back the clock. Crowds of onlookers gather, like vultures looking to feast on gore. They point, shielding their faces with masks or their hands, as if death itself, or something worse, might jump out from what they are witnessing. Those who dare to look quickly turn away. Curious bystanders find themselves contemplating mortality – their own and others’. And the desperate ones continue to plead for help, thrusting precious photos into his hands: “Please find my loved one.”
The photos imply that people can and will be visually identified quickly. But the Diplomat knows it’s a sad and dirty lie. How will he identify anyone, let alone Australians, among the thousands of corpses?
At home, his wife uses moral lessons from the Rāmāyana to explain aspects of Thai culture, which he often fails to grasp. The sea, as antagonist, permeates the landscape, exemplified by hungry Nāga water spirits. With the sea threatening to swallow everything, the Diplomat is haunted by disaster and the fear that he has forgotten something. When he almost drowns, he is rescued from the Nāga serpents by Deuan, a Thai forensic pathologist holding a flask of dugong tears.
ROBIN HAMILTON-COATES
author, educator, musician and former Australian diplomat
Robin is an international relations professional with leadership experience across government portfolios and the private sector in emergency response, corporate affairs, government relations and communications, across Australia, Africa and Asia. He was awarded a humanitarian medal for his role in leading Australia’s consular response to the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami in Thailand. He is a qualified history and politics teacher based in Melbourne, Australia, and continues to write fiction, news articles and academic work on related themes.
BOOK LAUNCH
I invite you to join me for the launch of my debut novel The Diplomat.
ENDORSEMENTS
A compelling page-turner with humanity at its heart.
Drawing on his experience as a diplomat and emergency responder, from identifying tsunami victims in Thailand to supporting evacuations in conflict-torn Côte d’Ivoire and other complex environments, Robin-Hamilton Coates brings a powerful real-world foundation to The Diplomat.
Thought-provoking and deeply human, The Diplomat is a must-read that stays with you long after the final page.
Dr Kay Danes OAM
International Humanitarian and Human Rights Advocate, Rochester, New York
This is the heartbreaking tale of the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami as seen through the eyes of a first responder. Told with humility, humanity and a touch of wry humour, The Diplomat is a gripping read on a real-life catastrophe from someone who was there. Written with tenderness and compassion, the book offers insight into Thai customs, language and culture as our characters navigate a life-altering tragedy and the people touched by it.
A must read for those wanting to understand Thailand, the foreign service and the unpredictable pathways of grief and resilience.
Karen Percy,
former ABC Correspondent for South East Asia
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