Rating: 
Summary: View into an unknown world
Review: I would never have heard of this book, until J. Yardley's review in the Washington Post indicated it might be an excellent mix of history, personal triumph, tragedy, and a view into a world mostly unknown (to me). The book delivered, moving quickly and combining personal and family details with observations of the world around the author. Enough of the story sounded true to me, based on my knowledge of the Vietnam war and its aftermath, although I am in no position to judge. Just as in any book like this, one's own experience does not necessarily mean similar experiences were widespread. My doubts were more related to the exceptional detail in the story for a young girl twenty years later, which has been commented on elsewhere. How much could literally be true? I believe the credibility was helped by the guilt and shame that surfaced in many incidents, and I don't doubt that those particular moments could be recalled with such emotion. Who could forget the disappearance of her father, or an attempted rape, or the feeling of near starvation, or witnessing the bloody execution of a hated soldier? No rose-colored glasses here. Perhaps a simple map would have helped me understand where some of these places were, besides Phnom Penh. I gather everything until near the end was in a small area relatively near the capital. The modest amount of historical context was acceptable and helpful. After all, this was the memoir of a child, not a history of the Khmer Rouge. I commend the author for the power of her story and the crispness of its telling.
Rating: 
Summary: Hi bong srey
Review: Aye hi, i was in one of your book meetings up in portland,maine. I think you know that khmer lady shawna.Will i really like the book meeting thingy,cause im feeling what your going though u know.your puting the sweat and tears in that book.My eyez were watery when u be sayin that your father died, cause i noe how is like. when some one dies frum u , who u really love .But i gotta say, Bong u got skillz,hey and when u comin in portland again cause muh friends is crazy bout your book, and she wants to meet you one day when you come here again,K e-mail me if u hab time k bong srey. one love.... khmer love....til da day i die...
Rating:
Summary: Heartbreaking
Review: I have never cried after finishing a book....except this time. The story of the Khmer Rouge atrocities could not be presented more beautifully, more sadly, and more honestly. How awful that this story had to be written.
Rating:
Summary: One autobiography
Review: One more autobiography of the horror that was the Khmer Rouge regime. Luong was 5 years old when the Khmer Rouge ejected her family from their home in Phnom Penh. By the age of 8, she was seperated from her family, telling the authorities that she was an orphan for fear of being executed like her father. Winding her way through the maze of survival strategies in a country where everyone was starving, Luong finds herself in a camp for strong young cambodean children, being educated to defend the very organisation that she hates for having killed her beloved pa. With echoes of 'europa, europa', this book is one child's shocking personal account of one of the greatest tragedies of our century. It resounds like a hollow skull on the pile of dead the KhmerRouge built.
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Summary: Punchy & Gutsy
Review: I totally understimated this book. Whilst it wasn't thick by any standard, it was punchy & gutsy. It conveyed the story of the author's family which fall from grace as Cambodia involved itself in civil war. To sustain their livelihood, like the rest of other families, they started to lead a nomad life, moving from one village to the other before their past caught up with them. As the saying goes, a paper couldn't wrap around fire & soon enough, her elder family members started to disappear. Innocence was lost & the author with her other siblings were forced to grow up. Even though we would never know what happened to her parents, the author did imagine what lead to her parent's death & just to read those parts alone were rather disturbing & sufficient to churn my stomach. Naturally, she grew to hate the Pol Pot regime & her behaviour started to get selfish to sustain her livelihood. Then, it was all over with Vietnam's intervention but did that imply Vietnam was the saviour? Then, the story continued with family members reunited once again & having to make a difficult decision of who should resettle overseas so that they could apply for the remainder family members to join them later on. The only downside of this book is that we weren't able to gauge how she started to assimmilate herself with her family host upon reaching Vermont, USA but it's obvious that she must have done well for herself & returning to Cambodia years later with a completely changed attitude. Her hatred has been channeled into a positive energy to become the voice for people that fall victims to landmines. Keep up the good work & a book worth reading about the senselessness of war.
Rating: 
Summary: Too Much Hype
Review: This book is an unfortunate example of media hype interfacing with an ignorant public. As a Cambodian who has lived through the KR years and lost family members, including my own father, I find this book to be embarrassingly dishonest at best and quite demeaning of my own experiences and the experiences of millions of other Cambodians. The author is to be commended for her bravery in attempting to recount real and painful memories of events she experienced as a 7-year-old child; the book is a terrific testimony of her will to survive. She has certainly done a lot to raise the awareness of the plight of Cambodians. The problem with the book is that the author not only overly dramatizes events but in many instances even exaggerates or outright lies about them. For instance, are we to truly believe that her father was a great and gentle man who wouldn't harm a flea? The same man who was, by her own admission, a rising star in the intelligence service notorious for killing and torture of opposition political opponents? Was her family really middle class Cambodian when they owned several automobiles, had maids and bodyguards, and swam at the "club" ? Most Cambodian family certainly would have been lucky to even have food to eat! But even if we were to grant her licenses on this and various other events, the more disturbing problem with this book is her tendency to denigrate and/or misrepresent indigenous Cambodian and Cambodian culture. One can't help notice the constant references to her "light skin" or her mother's beautiful white skin as opposed to the jealous dark skinned Khmers. In other instances, she mistakes Chinese customs for Cambodian customs. In fact, this "daughter of Cambodia" even gets facts about the fabled Angkor Wat temple wrong. There are so many better books out there that captures the experiences of Cambodians and they don't need to resort to overdramatisations or distortion of the truth. It's a shame that the American public had to latch on to this one.
Rating:
Summary: Not Disappointing
Review: After hearing Scott Simon's interview with Ms. Luong on one of his PBS Saturday morning programs, I couldn't get to the bookstore fast enough.........and I wasn't disappointed. For an inside look at Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge regime and how its cruelty changed and challenged a family, I encourage you to read her book. Astute and worthwhile.
Rating:
Summary: Unforgettable
Review: I still have remnants of this powerful book sicking with me day after day. Like the biography, "Angela's Ashes" you experience a world through a yong child'e eyes and heart. I couldn't read another book for days, any other book seemed so trivial and meaningless compared to the acute sorrow and affirmation of life that this book portrayed. Man's inhumanity to man again raises its head and all you can do is wonder,how this is possible. Also too many times when horrific events occur far from our shores they don't touch you...this book will touch you and you will remember it for a long long time.
Rating:
Summary: Embarrassment
Review: This book is an embarassment to Cambodians and insulting to our experience. As a Cambodian, I could see the many flaws and fabrications in the story. I was very disappointed by this book.
Rating:
Summary: Heroic
Review: This book was terrifying and beautiful at the same time. It's a miracle Loung Ung survived the horrors she went through. The strength and cunning that she possessed as a young child is amazing. Anyone who has Loung in her life is blessed.
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