This is an extremely powerful story.

“No one knows how precious you are. You are a diamond in the rough and with a little polishing, you will shine,” Pa whispers softly.”

“When I ask Kim what a capitalist is, he tells me it is someone who is from the city. He says the Khmer Rouge government views science, technology, and anything mechanical as evil and therefore must be destroyed. The Angkar says the ownership of cars and electronics such as watches, clocks, and televisions created a deep class division between the rich and the poor. This allowed the urban rich to flaunt their wealth while the rural poor struggled to feed and clothe their families. These devices have been imported from foreign countries and thus are contaminated. Imports are defined as evil because they allowed foreign countries a way to invade Cambodia, not just physically but also culturally. So now these goods are abolished. Only trucks are allowed to operate, to relocate people and carry weapons to silence any voices of dissent against the Angkar.”

“This is what the war has done to me. Now I want to destroy because of it. There is such hate and rage inside me now. The Angkar has taught me to hate so deeply that I now know I have the power to destroy and kill.”

Well written, engaging

The three stars are all for the content. The book gives some insight into how it must have felt to be dragged out of your home and forced into the countryside, to see atrocities around you, to lose close members of your family, and not really understand what was happening or what would happen next. I really did, however, have problems with the narrative choice of the book even if I felt I understood what the writer was trying to achieve. The story is told by a five year old who has a cognitive awareness well beyond her years and a supreme mastery of the English language, and it is told in the present tense. This gnawed at me page after page. I really would have been happier with a past tense account with some explanation of her lack of understanding of events. I am probably alone in my feelings about this, and possibly being unreasonable, but it did have an effect on my reception of the book.

Popsugar Challenge 2020 - A book set in a country beginning with C

This is an own voices account of the Pol Pot regime, the regime that killed two million Cambodians, a quarter of the country's population and its a hard read. It felt physically exhausting to tell you the truth.

I visited Cambodia in 2018 and did not meet a single Cambodian who did not lose their parents in this genocide. I stood in the killing fields and saw the clothing of those murdered start to penetrate the soil surface as with each rainy season that passes, the mass graves become more exposed. You can smell the death in the air.

Whether you've been or not this is a brutal read, it raw and its beyond distressing.

Angelina Jolie and her adopted son Maddox (a Cambodian) have produced a Netflix original film based on this book under the same name which is also well worth watching.

I'm not here to rate peoples lives, an auto five star from me.

Heartbreaking, Encouraging, Gripping & Powerful! An Eye Opening, Exceptional Read! I Loved It!

I have wanted to read Loung Ung's memoir, First They Killed My Father, for years, and was able to schedule it as the Cambodia stop on my Around the World in 80 Books challenge. This work, which details Ung's experiences with the Cambodian genocide, is subtitled 'A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers', and is an incredibly poignant record of a young life spoiled, first by civil war, and then by a dictatorship.

Spending her formative years, and losing half of her family, during Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge seems as vivid for Ung now as it was at the time. The second youngest of seven children born to a high-ranking government official, Ung led a prosperous life in Phnom Penh. When the Khmer Rouge Army marched into the city in April 1975, Ung and her family had to flee, moving from one village to another in order to keep hidden; she was just five years old. Later, the family had to split up almost entirely in order to enable them a stronger chance of survival. Through various means - 'execution, starvation, disease, and forced labour' - the Khmer Rouge is thought to have killed almost a quarter of Cambodia's population, estimated at a horrifying 2 million citizens.

First published in 2000, Ung begins her recollections at the point of being driven out of her home in 1975. The memoir spans just five years, but is incredibly tumultuous. Ung has chosen to present her memoir using the present tense, which gives it a real sense of urgency. From the very beginning, Ung's childish innocence of the time shines through: 'Pa always defends me - to everybody. He often says that people just don't understand how cleverness works in a child and that all these troublesome things I do are actually signs of strength and intelligence. Whether or not Pa is right, I believe him. I believe everything he tells me.' The prose continues in this rather simplistic manner throughout; as she tells her story, Ung seems to inhabit the voice of her childhood.

The cultural information which Ung imparts alongside her own memoirs is fascinating. There is a finely honed sense of place and atmosphere throughout. When they are forced to flee, Ung makes clear that every family, no matter their position or standing, wwere driven out of cities all over Cambodia over the course of several days: 'People pour out of their homes and into the streets, moving very slowly... Everywhere, people scream their good-byes to those who choose to stay behind; tears pour from their eyes... the world moves in hurried confusion from the city.' The landscape changes rapidly as the family leave Phnom Penh in their truck: '... the wide, paved boulevard gives way to windy, dusty roads that are no more than wagon trails. Tall elephant grass and prickly, brown brush have replaced Phnom Penh's blooming flowers and tall trees.'

Despite her age, Ung is able to understand the roots of what drives her family away from all they know: 'Keav [her older sister] tells me the soldiers claim to love Cambodia and its people very much. I wonder then why they are this mean if they like us so much. I cheered for them earlier today, but now I am afraid of them.' Her family live in constant fear, and this trickles down to Ung. She writes: 'At five years old, I am beginning to know what loneliness feels like, silent and alone and suspecting that everyone wants to hurt me.' The young Ung has so much strength and determination, which is incredible given the conditions she is forced to live under.

First They Killed My Father is harrowing, and incredibly moving. Ung describes, along with her own experiences, those things which affected all of her fellow Cambodians. So much changed; religion was banned, and children were made to work instead of pursuing their education. People were made to live under horrendous conditions: 'The population in the village is growing smaller by the day. Many people have died, mostly from starvation, some from eating poisonous food, others killed by soldiers. Our family is slowly starving to death and yet, each day, the government reduces our food ration. Hunger, always there is hunger. We have eaten everything that is edible, from rotten leaves on the ground to the roots we dig up.'

As time passes, Ung becomes almost entirely desensitised to the death and suffering around her. She does, however, still retain some knowledge of the wonder of the world, which she was familiar with during her time in Phnom Penh: 'The next evening, while sitting with [her brother] Kim outside on the steps of our hut, I think how the world is still somehow beautiful even when I feel no joy at being alive within it. It is still dark and the shimmering sunset of red, gold, and purple over the horizon makes the sky look magical. Maybe there are gods living up there after all. When are they going to come down and bring peace to our land?' First They Killed My Father is a startling and important record of a ruined childhood, which I would urge everyone to read.

Acest volum de memorii contine intreaga paleta de sentimente care-l pot face pe cititor sa treaca prin toate starile sufletesti posibile. Ura, frica, tristete, induiosare, speranta etc. Toate aceste sentimente se traiesc alaturi de autoarea Loung Ung care povesteste cu o voce clara, de scriitoare educata si talentata, viata ei de la cucerirea Cambodgiei de catre khmerii rosii pana la invazia vietnameza si fuga ei in Statele Unite ale Americii.
Trebuie sa recunosc ca nu am mai citit de mult un volum atat de "greu" si apasator de memorii precum acesta. Nimic din ceea ce Loung Ung scrie nu pare si nu lasa senzatia ca este fortat. Desi este scris de o femeie matura, vocea care ne vorbeste despre vicisitudinile si teroarea la care i-au supus khmerii rosii pe membrii familiei sale, este o voce de copila. Limbajul simplu si brutal, sentimentele redate abrupt si fara infloriri stilistice fac ca acest volum sa ne arate un copil, ce pare, este adevarat, mai mare de 5-6 ani, care sufera intr-o "minunata lume noua" o viata pe care nu o intelege.
Pentru Loung Ung de atunci sistemul politic al lui Pol Pot nu inseamna mai mult decat ruperea si distrugerea familiei sale, a universului in care se simtea in siguranta, anularea lumii de copil si anihilarea inocentei acestuia.
Foamete, crime in masa, teroare constanta asupra familiei, batai groaznice, frica si lipsuri, refuzul de a considera o familie drept parte a speciei umane: asta este ceea ce traieste Loung Ung si asta este revolutia comunista, marea schimbare "in bine" pe care o vrea Angkar-ul pentru populatia Cambodgiei.
Fetita, de doar 5 ani la momentul in care khmerii rosii ii alunga familia din apartamentul in care a crescut, se maturizeaza fortat. Obligata sa munceasca ca sa poata manca, chinuita constant de foame si de frica ca oricand membrii familiei pot fi ucisi, Loung Ung se trezeste, deodata, un om matur cu o viziune asupra vietii de om impovarat de greutati la o varsta la care basmele inca ar trebui sa fie credibile si sa faca parte din realitate.
Momentul in care tatal este luat si ucis de catre khmerii rosii este definitoriu pentru schimbarea caracterului lui Loung Ung. Ura incepe sa-si faca loc in sufletul de copil si dorinta de a-i ucide pe cei care i-au distrus familia incepe sa devina din ce in ce mai acuta, la fel ca si senzatia constanta de foame. O dorinta care nu o va parasi nici in momentul in care este spectatoare la o executie publica a unui khmer rosu.
Nu stiu daca as putea sa recomand o astfel de carte pentru ca ceea ce are de indurat o fetita de 6 ani este inimaginabil. In acelasi timp, astfel de experiente nu trebuiesc date uitarii si ar trebui citite si rascitite cu lacrimi de sange si tatuate pe cortex astfel ca niciodata sa nu mai permitem asemenea orori sa se intample. Pentru ca astfel de tragedii si vieti distruse nu trebuiesc ignorate niciodata, ci reamintite constant, acesta fiind unul dintre modurile de a impiedica dementa unor indivizi precum Pol Pot si alti "prieteni" de-ai sai sa reapara si sa-si faca mendrele pe aceasta planeta.
Asadar, consider ca aceasta carte ar trebuie citita de oricine, fara a fi nevoie de recomandari pentru ca acest volumas de memorii se autorecomanda tuturor celor care doresc la un moment dat sa se implice, intr-un mod sau altul, in oprirea atrocitatilor de acest gen si in salvarea de vieti nevinovate si suflete inocente.

On a recent trip to Cambodia I got to witness it's rich culture, lush landscapes and delicious, delicious food. At every turn I also saw the remnants of a painful past. I spent a hot afternoon walking through the Tuel Sleng Genocide Museum, having my breath taken away as I walked from room to room, each worse than the last. In one section of the former prison, I walked into a hastily made brick cell and felt so instantly claustrophobic I had to run out into the open air.The pictures, informational plaques and even the conversation, held via hand gestures, with a former prisoner couldn't help me grasp the genocide that occurred not that long ago.

Later I went to Choeng Ek, the most (in)famous of the killing fields. I walked up to, around and even in the commemorative stupa that had been built to honor the murdered and to hold their remains. Seeing children's skulls display evidence of so much violence with the cracks, dents and bullet holes broke my heart. Walking through the grounds and stepping on peoples' bones and clothing remnants that were making their way up through the dirt... Knowing that every year the rains would bring up more remains.... How do people make peace with that? How do they move on?

Loung Ung lived through the genocide and has carried on her life by teaching others about what happened, helping them to survive the atrocities that seems to keep happening around the world. In her memoir "First They Killed My Father: A daughter of Cambodia remembers" she tells of the Cambodia genocide from the eyes of a child. This perspective that makes what happened all the more heart-wrenching but also makes the facts easier to understand. (I use that word loosely, because I can never understand why what happened did, but I want to, need to, understand the facts of what did happen.)

Genocide is such a big concept. The Cambodia genocide was so messy, political, based on a series of events that made it possible. A child's memory strips out all of the extraneous facts and delivers only what they know. In her memoir, she inserts the historical facts necessary to keep her story moving, but she inserts them as dialogue from her father delivered to her. History as would be explained to a small child doesn't include the political intricacies that make our world so confusing. For this, I was grateful to Ung. Her tale helped me establish some basic knowledge from which I can expand with future reading.

A quick read, "First They Killed My Father: A daughter of Cambodia remembers" is the kind of book you start reading and don't want to put down. It's a great introduction to anyone interested in visiting Cambodia, learning about their history or learning about genocide in general.

There are some things left unlearned from history books. You can read about the Cambodian genocide from many other sources that will explain the facts and statistics in the traditional sterile style that historic texts usually take. You can actually witness the places and things that history has left behind. And then, you can dive into personal accounts of history; how humanity struggles to survive during some of its darkest hours.
While I am usually a sucker for auto/biographical works for the above reason, I have never been held so captive by a book in all my life. I've read many other survivor accounts from other historical periods, but this one disturbed me to no end; such a young child, such horrible atrocities being committed, witnessed, remembered. I could never imagine walking in her shoes at her age. Her story will haunt me forever.
I found that as the hours passed after I began the book, I could not go to sleep without finishing the story, without making sure this child would make it out alright. Of course we know she does survive, how else would the book be written, but I read on as if her life depended on reading the very last word. I finished it just as the sun started to rise and spent those first beautiful rays in complete thanksgiving: how lucky are we, who have lived so well, to be able to learn from those who have not had that chance.

This book is so heartbreaking at so many levels, i cannot name them. words are useless.
I thought at one time at Susanne Collins' Hunger games. of course, there is no comparision, i dont even know why my mind came to that. that is pure stupid science fiction, written from somebody who never had to experience war and famine, Ung's book is pure stupid reality. If i hadn't had known this is a real story, a real person who lived through that, i would have easily said, it cannot be true. people cannot be so cruel to each other. unfortunately it is, that is why you can not compare people with animals. animals will never be so pointlessly cruel.

The author's choice of using the present tense narration through her childhood eyes worked wonders for making you feel like you're a witness in the midst of the family's experiences.

Despite the Animal Farm-esque brutality, it's still heartening how you could see Loung transform from a spoilt and pampered city girl into a strong, albeit still selfish, fighter with a fierce drive for survival. The restrained expressions of emotions didn't hide the love shared between the family members and some of the best moments in the book occur during such scenes. And in the way she wrote about her Pa, it's obvious how much she loved him and the words were beautiful to read in their child-like worship of a larger-than-life father.

The editing wasn't very good for such a renowned publisher though; you encounter words such as 'loose' instead of 'lose' and 'bare' where 'bear' should be. While such basic errors did not discount the power of the storytelling, they did break the flow of the story, and called the editor's credibility to question.

Speaking of credibility, not really a fan of the 'imaginary' sections although I understand that it's comprehensible why the young Loung would have those images running through her mind.

The story itself is harrowing, but there were a few parts in which I got the sense of dramatization for its own sake. Coloured by a child's impression of a brutal experience, the narration in a nutshell tells me that rich city people are good and wise; the poor peasants are crass and cruel and are all on power trips. For all I know though, probably that's what really happened and that there really weren't any grey areas.

Not much was touched upon in terms of lessons learnt other than that in times of turmoil, it pays to be selfish and violent until the foreigners come to set everything straight; the baddies got punished, the lucky survivors got saved.

Still, this is a story that deserves to be read simply because of the scarcity of actual accounts in English from one of the bleakest implosions a nation could have experienced.

This is the story of a young girl's memories of life during the fall of Phnom Penh, and the subsequent takeover of Cambodia by the Khmer Rouge with the sadistic Pol Pot as its head. Loung Ung, at 5 years old was forced to travel with her family to the country to work as laborers, mostly in fields to produce food that was then sold to China for guns, while the workers slowly starved to death. In this memoirs she presents her daily life as they try to survive the awful conditions. 25% of Cambodia's Population die from starvation or outright execution during the revolution.

This is a book that should be read alongside books on Rwanda, the Nazi Holocaust, and Stalin's treatment of Ukraine (and really all of his people).