I'm not someone who reads historical non fiction regularly however I was instantly hooked and I recommend and encourage everyone to read this personal account of the Killing Fields. It's unfortunate that so little is written and documented about this horrific genocide and the unspeakable acts of cruelty that the Cambodian people endured. The author takes you along his harrowing journey with his family as they miraculously survive numerous refugee camps, loss of loved ones and friends, and years of torture and terror as they merely try to survive another day. The amount of detail provided is mind blowing and really gives you a clear picture of the day to day life this family experienced and endured. While painful and heartbreaking to read at times, it is hard to put down as the resilience and strength of the human spirit keeps you engaged from the get go. I can't imagine how difficult and painful it must have been for the author to write this memoir as it would be like re- living it all over again; however, it is beautifully and emotionally written and will no doubt touch everyone who reads it. This family's story is remarkable and represents one of the millions of families who unbelievably survived these intense years of hardship and brutality. My heart hurt as I read about the atrocities the Khmer Rouge committed and the way the Cambodian people were treated. The fact that they survived and lived to tell their story is truly a miracle. This is a story that everyone should read as there is too little education about the Killing Fields and it's so important that it never be forgotten or repeated.

Great book and an important true story. If you're interested in what it's like for the normal people when a country descends into chaos and brutal military rule then read this book. The struggle to survive a genocide when you are one of the ones marked for slave labour or death by the new regime, the journey after being forced out of your home at gun point, constant starvation and sickness, the brutality of people at their worst and the brutality of nature in the heat of the jungle. A heartfelt account despite the horror. The author got through it all somehow, proving that no matter how hopeless things seem, there is always hope. Highly recommend.

In this hard-hitting true story, Sokphal Din details both his and his family’s experiences of life under the regime of the Khmer Rouge, including being taken from their home due to being considered capitalist for living in a city and not the countryside. In fact, they had lived in the capital city of Cambodia, this being Phnom Penh. After leaving here, they faced conditions that were inhumane and very uncomfortable to read, including being sent to the Killing Fields. Din makes sure to detail his awful, evil experiences, to remember the life of the relatives and friends that he lost. This family did not only fight for their survival, but also fought to be a family and to be with each other. Even when separated, they did everything they could to be together again, and it was so heart-warming and inspiring to read that despite the imminent dangers, they still had strong family bonds, and always tried to be generous to others too. They didn’t just fight to survive for each other, instead they made sure they helped others along the way. I think the Killing Fields and the regime of the Khmer Rouge are a lot less known about than other awful tragedies and evils that have occurred throughout time and history. If I am being honest, I had heard of the atrocious Cambodian genocide, but never truly the full picture of the events that led to this and the regime itself that acted in this cruel and cold-blooded way. Although, as I have said before, this book was hard-hitting due to details of pains and sufferings Din and his family were forced to endure, including constant starvation and illness, I was nevertheless glad I read this book. To read a memoir of a survivor of these unimaginable events was so important, for both education and remembrance of the quarter of Cambodian’s population who were killed during the Cambodian genocide. Sokphal Din has continued to educate people of all ages and to do fantastic charity work and we should be thankful that he wanted to detail and share his experiences with us.