One of seven children of a high-ranking government official, Loung Ung lived a privileged life in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh until the age of five. Then, in April 1975, Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge army stormed into the city, forcing Ung’s family to flee and, eventually, to disperse. Loung was trained as a child soldier in a work camp for orphans, her siblings were sent to labor camps, and … those who survived the horrors would not be reunited until the Khmer Rouge was destroyed.
Harrowing yet hopeful, Loung’s powerful story is an unforgettable account of a family shaken and shattered, yet miraculously sustained by courage and love in the face of unspeakable brutality.
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An amazing true-life story about one girls experiences under the Khmer Rouge. Absolutely incredible to think what she, along with millions of others, dealt with so recently. The story is extremely well told and captures you.
I couldn’t stop wanting to rescue the young girl in the story who was fighting moment by moment to survive.
My wife is from that part of the world. It helps explain some things. If you haven’t lived it you can’t imagine. I haven’t so I read.
It’s a very sad story…but very heartwarming as well.
I visited Cambodia 1n 1996 saw what is real and true described in this book. Very moving
This book is an eye-opening, first-hand account, of what life is like under brutal communist dictatorship. It is a stark warning to the millenial generation: be careful about what you wish for (socialism) because you just might get it. This book shows you where socialism can lead.
I knew about the atrocities in Cambodia but reading this first hand account was absolutely riveting. I would recommend this compelling book to anyone interested in the real life stories behind “the Killing Fields. “
A look into a very different world. It’s hard to imagine sometimes how backwards other countries can be.
I was a child during the Vietnam war. As an American, I was so uninformed about the aftermath of our involvement in this war and the impact on other countries in that region. I was aware of Pol Pot and his campaign of genocide in Cambodia. The honest and brutally matter of fact descriptions of simply surviving each day was devastating. Her life …
A very moving read about living in Phnom Penh under Khmer Rouge. HIghly recommend!
I learned how cruel people can be.
The detailed account, encompassing all human senses and perceptive wisdom, takes the reader into the travesty of the Cambodian people during the Khymer Rouge takeover. The female child, Luong, now grown, describes the horrific struggle of her family to survive, from leaving the safe beauty of their home to the journey ahead. It is a learning …
I enjoyex this book very much
I never understood the Cambodian crisis and the atrocities their people endured until I read this book. Every high school student in the United States should read this book to have a global understanding of the world. Luong Ung is a great writer, I would read anything she wrote. Luong is a role model for anyone who needs to overcome tragedies …
This book opened my eyes to the plight of the North Korean people. It takes place in a time in modern history that I lived through. I had no idea how truly bad the living conditions are in that country. The main character is indeed was a brave little girl and a courageous woman.
This is just an okay book. Sad story but also a slow read.
The sad story of a young Cambodian girl and her family during the Pol Pot regime and the killing fields.
A sad tragic story that must be read by any history buff. The movie was really good also.