First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers (2001)

Cambodia.

Follow up with [b:Lucky Child: A Daughter of Cambodia Reunites with the Sister She Left Behind|126352|Lucky Child A Daughter of Cambodia Reunites with the Sister She Left Behind (P.S.)|Loung Ung|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171914170s/126352.jpg|1294490], which expresses the PTSD more clearly. These two can be read with Him's [b:When Broken Glass Floats: Growing Up Under the Khmer Rouge|4372|When Broken Glass Floats Growing Up Under the Khmer Rouge|Chanrithy Him|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165429618s/4372.jpg|8041] to compare two girls' experiences of the fall of Phnom Penh and the Khmer Rouge genocide. ( )

Heart wrenching story of a girl whose family was taken from their home in Phnom Penh when she was only five years old. Forced to work in rice fields and gardens for precious little food, Loung watched her family slowly starve, be sent to other camps, and die at the hands of the Khmer Rouge. The voice of her young age rang true as she mourned more the loss of her comfortable life than realizing the danger they faced.

Loung was the second youngest in her family and shared her vivid memories of her life from 1975 to 1979 until she was able to escape Cambodia to Thailand and eventually gain admission to the U.S.

That her brothers and sisters managed to eventually find each other is a testament to their strong bonds and determination to survive.

She shares pictures of her family in the middle of this book which
added to the reality of their trials. ( )

This review first appeared on my blog: http://www.knittingandsundries.com/2012/04/first-they-killed-my-father-by-loung....

In a unique writing voice, Loung Ung tells us her story - at age 5, suddenly transported from a middle-class lifestyle in the Cambodian city of Phnom Penh, where she lived with her family, to a life of starvation, hardship and struggle in the brutal village camps of the Khmer Rouge in 1975. In their new world, her family of nine must learn to play down their intelligence, suffer through random visits by soldiers to houses where girls are taken from their families and raped, and entire families sometimes disappear, they must also worry about anyone finding out that their father served as a police officer in the former government. This is a fascinating account of a new, harsh world as seen through the eyes of a young child, a world that no one should have to live in. Flashes of hope and small triumphs (finding a way to get extra food, a visit from one of the siblings), become large in a world where hope and individuality are quashed.I would totally recommend this title to anyone interested in the history of Cambodia as seen through the eyes of someone who lived through this regime. BOOK RATING: 4 out of 5 stars ( )

A shattering read of one of the worst genocide's in history. You will be left aghast and in awe of the author's deep love for her family and country. ( )

I was blown away by the story contained in this book.

To give you some idea of context - I was born in 1976. The year I was born Loung Ung was five years old and living in Phenom Penh, Cambodia. Her life was relatively good (although nothing like mine here in the States). Her prize possession was a red dress. She had six siblings, and a father and mother who loved her.

Then the Civil War taking place in Cambodia stepped in and became personal for Loung and her family (and millions of other Cambodians). 1/4th of the population was killed - but that's something we're not taught about here. So thank goodness that there are books out there that record the story so those who died are not forgotten.

While I was being fussed and cooed over, Loung was dealing with starvation, attempted rape, the murders of those close to her, and illnesses which were ravaging her body. She was being trained in combat, her mind filled with fear, and forced to leave her family and adapt to conditions which I pull back in revulsion to think of. And she tells her whole story - crystal clear - in First They Killed My Father.

This is such a charged memoir. It's hard to recommend because the read is so tough, but I couldn't put it down. I think you'll find the only critique (or at least the only one I have) is that the story is told in a bit of a sing-song simplistic way, but it doesn't distract from the power of the story itself. ( )