I picked up this book because I wanted to learn more about different world events. The author of this book was a child when the Khmer Rouge took control of Cambodia (1975-1979). During this time, she endured the loss of her home, family members, her way of life and basically everything she ever knew.
I honestly don't know how anyone comes out of something like this unbroken. The amount of tragedy and cruelty she had to endure was ridiculous. While I think she was a bit hard on herself, she was only a child after all, I felt that her reactions were relatable. As in I understood her rage and desire to destroy.
I wish the pictures had been at the end. They were from the reunion, which happened in the epilogue, so I wasn't sure why they were in the middle of the book (maybe that makes more sense in the paperback/hardback version but not the kindle). Also, I wish she had spent just a little more time on what happened when they got to America. She rushed through why the whole family didn't get relocated to America, but again, this was in the epilogue.
People react to circumstances differently. With the horrors the author went through at such an early age, I'm impressed with the amount of detail and willingness to share a lot of what happened to her. This book is a scary and sobering glimpse into genocide. It sounds weird to give it a Good Book! review, because it wasn't enjoyable in the sense that I found joy reading it. I learned a great deal, and it made me feel something. I feel like those books are the best. They stick with you long after you put them down. Good Book!
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