First They Killed My Father By Loung Ung

The Life-Changing Tale of Cambodian Survivor: Loung Ung

As a survivor of the Cambodian Genocide in the 1970s, Loung Ung’s First They Killed My Father is a heart-wrenching memoir that recounts her experiences growing up during the brutal Khmer Rouge regime. The narrative follows her family as they struggle to escape evacuations, bombings, and work camps during her early years, between the ages of 5 and 9. By sharing her terrible story and spotlighting a historical event that would be missed, Loung uses her experiences and writing to encourage others and offers an intimate look into the horrors of genocide. She recounts each aspect of what she had to endure, down to the goriest and most horrific details. Ung adds to the story by capturing a moment at the start of her memoir by making the focal point of the normalcy in her life before the chaos she is about to be engulfed in.

One of the most striking aspects of this book is the way it captures the human experience of living through a genocide. Ung’s vivid descriptions of the day-to-day struggles and challenges she faced as a child provide a poignant insight into the emotional and psychological trauma that

Not too long after this, her family faces a new tragedy as soldiers come to their door in the evening demanding Pa go with them. That is the last time his family ever saw him. As life continued Ma knew that she needed to have her children all leave her and split up as the Khmer rouge started targeting the children of those they had executed. So Loung and her siblings, Kim and Chou are forced to leave and split up. Loung and Chou stay together and end up at a work camp, but not too long after Loung is sent to a camp for child soldiers. The Khmer Rouge was known for their brutality and violence, and Loung witnessed many atrocities during this time, including executions and