Breathtaking - Rated 
Having visited s21 and the killing fields this book is particulary poignant.It captures the human tragedy and makes me think that irrespective of all that goes on in todays society we are lucky enough not to have lived through such a time when life was so cheap.
Read this book of the flight to Phnom Penh for a truly moving experience.
an amazing read - Rated
I dont know why I decided to read this book, but was captivated by the fiest chapter, even though I knew i would probably be in tears at some stage of my reading.
The book is very well written , and seeing life and death through the eyes of a 5 yr old growing up in Cambodia whilst it is under the brutal rule of the Khmer Rouge.
The work camps, the death of close friends and family, plus the unseen threat from the soldiers, let alone friends or family being encouraged to turn in anyone they feel will give them some kind of favour with the regime makes it an incredibly brutal life.
i would love to meet the author because i cannot conceivably imagine the hardship that someone has had to suffer, and she was not alone enduring this savagery.
What makes you feel so incensed with this is that you think people would learn, but these living conditions keep recurring as the world moves in albeit in different countries, under different regimes,
I urge you to read this fantastic book
One of the best books I've read - Rated
As another reviewer has also said, this book reduces you to tears - on more than one occasion I found myself weeping on the bus to work. It is hard to believe that what Loung Ung encountered in her childhood only happened between 25-30 years ago.
It is wonderfully written and the family's life before the Khmer Rouge overtook Phnom Penh marks a striking contrast with the subsequent sufferings.
I couldn't put this book down. It's the sort of book that changes your perceptions forever. It lives on with you. I would recommend that readers watch The Killing Fields afterwards, a film I have watched many times and still cry without fail.
I would recommend Loung Ung's Lucky Child as well which follows up where this book ends. It's not as good (it would be pretty difficult to be better) but it's interesting to see how someone that encountered so much pain got on with life after the war and how the war affected her.
A great read - Rated
'First they killed my father' is a compelling personal account of a young Cambodian girl's experiences of life under the Brutal rule of the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s. This being Luong's first book, takes the form of a diary account and is written in a simple yet informative and readable format.
Luong was born into a wealthy family of nine in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Pen. As her father is employed in the city as a military police captain and is a supporter of the former Lon Nol government both he and his family risk being captured and killed by the Extreme communist Khmer Rouge if his identity is found out. The Khmer Rouge wants to turn Cambodia into an agrarian nation free of the 'western poison' of capitalism. To make this dream a reality they begin to kill anyone who isn't 'pure' Khmer and all those who indulge in western culture and learning. Luong's father moves his family to the countryside where the Khmer Rouge places them into a work camp. The father attempts to keep his origins a secret so his family can survive. Every member of the family works hard and speaks to no-one so that they will become worthy citizens in the eyes of the angkar.
The Book moves at a steady pace and the reader is kept interested throughout because of the author's uncomplicated writing style. Luong's changing emotions are vividly articulated drawing the reader in and allowing them to understand her plight and also her great triumph at the end when she beats all the odds and finally achieves her freedom.
fantastic - Rated
I bought this book from Siem Reap, Cambodia on a recent visit to SE Asia, having never heard of the book before. I didn't read the book until I returned home to the UK... and i'm glad I waited. Cambodia is an enchanting, magical place. It's clear that the country is poor but its horrific past is not immediately apparent and it would be easy for a casual visitor to ill appreciate the scale of horror that has taken place there. This book, however, illustrates the Cambodian genocide from the most objective standpoint imaginable. As a 5-year-old girl, Ung re-lives her genocide with an honesty and frankness, the likes of which must be unmatched in this type of account. The bravery of this young girl through 5 years of senseless murder, rape and enforced famine leaves the reader shocked and humbled. This brave young child survives through a rare strength, the brand of which is extinct in the western world. Every page of this book is turned with trepidation and it continues to surprise throughout. As the book is written through the eyes of an adolescent, there are areas that, with the benefit of maturity, the adult reader will find tragically predictable: "Ma, The soldiers said we could go home in three days. Its been four now, the soldiers promised us three days, Ma?" Loung Ung is truly a remarkable human being as are any of her fellow Cambodians who were forced to endure such pointless torture and extermination in those years. This is a book of the beautiful and the grotesque, of innocence and guilt and of love and hate.
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