First They Killed My Father

First They Killed My Father is a memoir by Loung Ung, a survivor of the Cambodian Genocide. She wrote the story looking back on her childhood between the ages of five and nine. The story begins with her happy and healthy life in the city Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia. Her family was considered a middle class family; her father worked for the government, which allowed her family to live their lives with plenty of food, nice clothes, and quality and secure schools to attend. Her entire life changed when the Khmer Rouge took over the country. On a mid-April day in 1975, the Khmer Rouge invaded Phnom Penh, forcing Loung’s family to pack everything they could and leave the city. Eventually, they reached Krang Truop where Loung’s uncle lives.

In November 1975, the family settled in a labor camp at Ro Leap where Loung and her family lived for over a year. During this time, the Khmer Rouge slowly starved and killed many Cambodians, including some of Loung’s family members. The first family member that died was Keav, Loung’s older sister, who died of food poisoning from an infirmary that was unsanitary. She was taken away from her family for six months before her death to work at a camp. After Keav, Loung’s father died. Khmer Rouge soldiers ask for help with their truck and promise that he will be back the next day, but never returns. Eventually, Loung is taken to another labor camp, filled with strong and aggressive girls. While Loung was at the camp, she dreams that something happened to her mother and Geak. She later returns to Ro Leap and learns that her mother and baby sister were killed. When she returns to the camp, she is punished by the leader. Eventually the camp is attacked by the Khmer Rouge who claim that the attacks are being committed by the Vietnamese, who the girls are taught to