Short Synopsis
A harrowing memoir of a Cambodian family shattered by Pol Pot's regime, First They Killed My Father is a powerful, unforgettable story of courage and love in the face of unspeakable brutality.

Full Synopsis
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.

"Tavia Gilbert takes us on [Ung's] journey with a superb performance that includes a myriad of emotions---from audible crying to fear and anger." ---AudioFile

"Ung's memoir should serve as a reminder that some history is best not left just to historians but to those left standing when the terror ends." ---Booklist Starred Review

"Skillfully constructed, this account also stands as an eyewitness history of the period, because as a child Ung was so aware of her surroundings, and because as an adult writer she adds details to clarify the family's moves and separations." ---Publishers Weekly

Booklist Review