Meet Luong Ung (Pronounced as Luwang)
A fiesty 5 year old Cambodian girl who was forced to grow up quickly in order to survive the brutality of the Khmer Regime. Her dad died protecting the family of 8 and the death of the mom and elder sister soon followed through. Orphaned and against her will, she was compelled to train as a child soldier. I simply can’t keep this book down. It tells a true story about love, family, persistence and survival.
Ive heard about this book during my boarding school days. My sisters had to read the book for their ESL classes.. but I did not bother picking it up until my recent visit to the S-21 prison in Cambodia. The prison exposed the cruel acts of torture executed by Pol Pot’s men during the Khmer Regime. I saw the book displayed at the souvenir shop in the vicinity of the prison and remembered a photo of Kel posing with the book back in 2003.
Deeply affected by what i saw at the prison (blood stained floors, torture instruments et al), i couldn’t resist finding out more about what actually went down during that period of time and bought the book. I havent finished reading it ..and i’m choosing to take my time , only because i’m worried that i wouldn’t have anything this GOOD to read when i finish. huhu.
i’d like to share with you some of my favorite excerpts from the book..(so far)
“At the new camp the nearest thing to friendship comes from the palm tree boy. I do not know his name and have never spoken to him….He and his father share the job of collecting palm sap.. if they are there when i am around, the boy usually throws a palm fruit in my direction, smiling and waving to me with his hand still clutching the cleaver.”
“I’ve always thought he (her father) looked like the stone faces of the gods at Angkor Wat”
Unlike stories from the Holocaust, this one hits closer to home. The book made me realise how fortunate we are for not being exposed to such cruelty in our lifetime and this is exactly why history shouldn’t repeat itself.
Luong Ung shines brighter than any of the other precious gemstones on display at the Russian Market..or anywhere else for that matter,Truly a diamond in the rough 🙂 (Kalah anting2 si Maya, si Amal sama si Kel)
Kel on the book:
‘Paloi ni buku ah, adakah durang bagi buku cani ani kan time org exam. what if students get mentally disturbed? paloi tu si Patterson ah (her Y12 english teacher).. i shudve told her WHY U MAKE US READ THIS BOOK U STUPID SHIT, I CANNOT DO MY EXAM.’
