First They Killed My Father : A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers

from flyheatherfly

I found this to be a startlingly powerful memoir of Ms Ung's childhood experiences. Sadly I went in knowlng precious little about the atrocities the people suffered under the Khmer Rouge, but this book has inspired me to remedy that. I enjoyed the present tense telling of the story, it made me fe...

from Anamie

The themes prevalent in dystopian novels are brought to reality in Luong Ung's account. The society she lived in before becomes torn apart by war and violence. Ung, still a child, is forced to deal with heavy decisions. I think this book is an example of how governments are systems that can easil...

from bnbookgirl

This is a really heartbreaking story while at the same time being very uplifting. The will to survive is unimaginable but really speaks to your heart. I have never read about the Khmer Rouge army and the Cambodian genocide. I was transfixed by Loung's story and her life before, during, and after....

from tibobi

The Short of It: A young girl's heart wrenching tale of her family's struggle for survival during the Cambodian Genocide (1975-1979). Hard to stomach at times but beautifully written. The Rest of It: Ung's tale begins in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Once known at "the pearl of Aisa", Phnom Penh is the h...

from LisaMaria_C

I feel bad I didn't love this book--maybe I've been jaded by too many tales of misery and atrocity. Or maybe it's just reading this so soon after Egger's What is the What about Sudan or for that matter after Vaddey's The Shadow of the Banyan, also about this period, this book has a lot to live up...