by Loung Ung
First published 2007
Loung Ung was just a child when the Khmer Rouge seized power in Cambodia and ordered the evacuation of Phnom Penh. Separated from her family in the chaos, she is forced to train as a child soldier while her siblings are sent to labor camps. Amidst the brutality, Loung clings to her parents' lessons of love and resilience, determined to survive and reunite with her loved ones.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, biography-memoir, military-history
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, resilience
Setting: Cambodia, United States
Period: 20th-century
288 pages · Hardcover · MAINSTREAM PUBLISHING
Content warnings: child-abuse, violence, war