First They Killed My Father

Loung Ung's harrowing biography about her family's experience under the rule of the Khmer Rouge in First They Killed My Father (2000) is a powerful and moving story. I have read several books about Cambodia such as Sideshow: Kissenger, Nixon & the Destruction of Cambodia, but those abstract description of a nation torn apart do not penetrate the way a personal narrative does. Ung's heartbreaking story of how she lost her parents and two siblings in the dark years of the Khmer Rouge take over are heart breaking. Her family along with many thousands of other s suffered greatly and as many as 2 million lost their lives in the crazy social experiment. Cambodia still suffers today from the slaughter of the elite class and corruption that still plagues the country. I often had to take breaks from the story and read something else to distance myself from the heartbreak. essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the effects of the Khmer Rouge revolution. It is a powerful and affecting story.