First They Killed My Father

From History Book By Book
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Modern Age
FirstTheyKilledMyFatherCambodia.jpg

First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers
Author: Ung, Loung
Buy at Amazon | BookShop.org

Time Period: Modern Age
Time Frame: 1975-1979
Geographic Area: Africa
Country: Cambodia
Topics: Cambodian Genocide
Genre: Non Fiction, Biography
Reading Age: Young Adult, Adult
Format: Book
Published: 1999


World History > Modern Age > 1970s

From a childhood survivor of the Cambodian genocide under the regime of Pol Pot, this is a riveting narrative of war crimes and desperate actions, the unnerving strength of a small girl and her family, and their triumph of spirit.

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.

Other Similar Books

Other suggestions on the subject of Cambodia.