Book Club | September 2019 Roundup
First, they killed my father by Loung Ung
"A memoir of Ung's personal experiences as a child survivor of the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia, 'First they killed my father' is a harrowingly necessary account of war through a child's eyes. This is admittedly a book you don't enjoy but you devour. I know little of the Cambodian civil war and the mass genocide in Phnom Penh, but Ung's account is so horrifyingly vivid you almost feel as if you're living the sadness and anger alongside her.
From the invasion of the Khmer soldiers, leaving behind her family home, separation and eventual execution of members of her family, severe exhaustion and starvation, her recruitment as a child soldier, every emotion she felt during those years bleed into the page.
Whilst obviously a difficult read, the story ends with hope (and eventual reunion with her brothers and sisters in Vietnam). Ung was one of the lucky few who escaped and has used her experience to teach others and advocate for a better world so no child ever goes through what she did."
We'll be introducing October's book club tomorrow so don't forget to check back!
Use the hashtag #bookshelfbookclub and tag @bloggersbookshelf to share your photos and mini reviews with us throughout the month.
No comments
Post a Comment