"First They Killed My Father" - Loung Ung

Kendra_lee1292 · Post by **Kendra_lee1292** » 05 Nov 2015, 09:15

I'm not entirely sure if this would count as historical fiction, but I figured because it happened in the past that it might count?

So this book is a memoir of Loung Ung going through her childhood trying to escape the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia during the late '60's early '70's. She was five years old when the Khmer Rouge regime invaded Cambodia which lead to the bloodiest genocide in the 20th century, killing 2 million people in the 7 million people population. It's an extremely moving story. One, I'll admit, that I didn't think I would enjoy. A couple years ago I had to read and write a sort of "review" for an Asian History class in which my professor gave us a list of books to choose from. After some extensive googling on some of the titles I was interested in, I settled on this one. I initially borrowed it from the library, but after reading it cover to cover, I knew I had to make it part of my collection. I discovered afterward that she had two other books Lucky Child and Lulu in the sky.

I highly recommend this book, and if you decide to read, please please tell me what you thought!

Fran · Post by **Fran** » 05 Nov 2015, 10:08

@ Kendra_lee1292
Unfortunately this is not fiction - it's a memoir so I've moved it to Non-Fiction.
I read it around 2010 I think & I agree it is a superb book but deeply disturbing. I say "unfortunately" it's not fiction because it is truly distressing to read what people can do to each other in the name of an ideology. At the time I read it I had already watched the movie The Killing Fields & I though I was beyond being shocked but this book left me repeatedly in tears, the cruelty and the unfairness was very distressing. That Loung Ung survived both physically and mentally is in itself amazing & a tribute to the endurance of the human spirit.

Definitely one of those books that I have never, and doubt I ever will, forget. But I agree with you it is a highly recommended read but definitely not a "light" read.