Product Description

After enduring years of hunger, deprivation, and devastating loss at the hands of the Khmer Rouge, ten-year-old Loung Ung became the "lucky child," the sibling chosen to accompany her eldest brother to America while her one surviving sister and two brothers remained behind. In this poignant and elegiac memoir, Loung recalls her assimilation into an unfamiliar new culture while struggling to overcome dogged memories of violence and the deep scars of war. In alternating chapters, she gives voice to Chou, the beloved older sister whose life in war-torn Cambodia so easily could have been hers. Highlighting the harsh realities of chance and circumstance in times of war as well as in times of peace, Lucky Child is ultimately a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and to the salvaging strength of family bonds.

Customer Reviews (21)

Lucky Child: A Daughter of Cambodia Reunites with the Sister She Left behind
When I ordered this book they said it was in excellent condition.Unfortunately, the book had higlighting and handwritten notes inside and was quite worn.I was not happy with the product.

Life after Cambodia
This is a sequel to First They Killed my Father.

If I had not read the first book, I would have found this book confusing and not very interesting. It completes the story of the author after she leaves Cambodia. But the story doesn't have the same compelling rhythm or level of emotion of the first book.

It seems a little contrived and a very long-winded justification for avoiding re-establishing connection with her family (which she does eventually). The more personal stuff (how she met her husband, her work etc) are not aired in this book- it portrays a much more reserved and controlled person. Maybe that is the effect that her heart rending experiences described in her first book had on her.

Good to read if you read the first book.

an amazing book that should make you reflect on your life
first off, this book should be read after first reading 'first they killed my father' as it is a sequel to that book. many people here have said that and that is the truth.

i recently returned from an extended trip in asia, much of which was spent in cambodia, despite a lack of a plan to go there when i flew to asia. i guess i was gripped by cambodia as i spent a lot of my time there. one major aspect of visiting cambodia undoubtedly is the civil war and genocide which just occurred. it is very difficult to overlook this period in cambodia's history as a visitor, and it is in effect a form of self-censorship if you do. when visiting, you have an almost moral obligation to visit sites that comprise what i collectively call 'genocide tourism,' despite how unpleasant it can be. more uniquely to me, i felt cynical and self-serving at times. but this is what you do when in cambodia. you just visit these places as respectfully as possible and perhaps try to hide your emotions if you are a private person.

i bought 'first they killed my father,' loung ung's first book, from a landmine victim while eating lunch in siem reap, visiting angkor wat nearby. missing a leg and most of his fingers, he approached me and a friend at our table with a tray of books and a sign explaining that he peddles books about cambodia rather than beg, something i saw amputees doing at several points in my trip. seeing the results of what occurred in cambodia firsthand made loung ung's two books a lot more palpable, but i am really digressing.

anyway, i have been on a sort of kick, reading firsthand accounts of life under the khmer rouge. having so far read chanrithy him, pin yathay, and loung ung, all are definitely worth reading, but by far the best writing belongs to loung ung. she is by far the best writer and writes with a vibrancy and emotion lacking in the other works. i read her first book largely while on my plane trip home. i cannot recall reading anything so emotionally brutal in my life and i could not put this book down.

the book at hand is no different. 'lucky child' has an interesting structure, going back and forth biographically between loung ung's life in america and that of her closest sister who stayed behind with other members of her family. as the youngest with the best chance to adapt and learn, she was the 'lucky child' who got to go to america when the family did not have enough money for everyone to get smuggled out of cambodia.

i read this book almost entirely in one day. if you are an empathetic person, you would be a fool not to read this book. you will stop complaining if the guy at starbucks didn't froth the milk in your latte. hopefully you will take things less for granted. you may be spurred to reflect upon your own life by this book.

Lucky Child: A daughter of Cambodia reunites with the sister she left behind
This is an outstanding book. Loung Ung is an excellent writer. I was educated by her first book: First they Killed my Father. This second book shows that she is truly a good author. I look forward to books she will write in the future. God truly is using you and your tragic experiences Loung. Thank you for sharing the struggles of your life. Loung, you are truly inspiring.

enthralling and great to read
I just bought the first book on-line finally after reading the Lucky Child last year. I admired the courage and strength of the writer. It must took more than guts to write this book. Reading Loung's book as if I'm reading a book about myself. I'm too from Cambodian; I was too only 5 y.o. when war and genocide happened. My father was executed and murdered during this sadist era. I could truly relate myself to the author's life. Few years ago, I saw The Killing Field only briefly because I could not bring myself to watch it. But reading Lucky Child brought me back so much memories and nightmares. Before reading this book I always wondered what life was like for people back in Cambodia and how people lived day by day,this book answered some of my questions. Bravdo to Loung Ung and many thanks for being the voice of Cambodians. Those 2 Millions innocent people did not deserve to die and definitely NOT to die that way: brutiality and in unhuman ways. I am not a weepy person but reading this book, I cried the whole time. I cried for Loung and her family,for the 2 millions, and for all the survivors.
I absoultely and highly recommend this book to anyone. Lucky Child should be the reading book in every school. ... Read more

Product Description
From a writer of insight, wit, and compassion
comes the remarkable story of a boy from the
killing fields of Cambodia who irrevocably
changed the life of an American family.
A Blessing Over Ashes

In clear vivid prose, Adam Fifield recaptures the snowy night when he, at the age of eleven, along with his mother, father, and younger brother, waited to welcome fifteen-year-old Soeuth into the family. The boy shuffled in, short and scrawny, a baseball cap shading his downcast eyes. He spoke not a word, yet a silent terror hovered around him.

The author describes the events of the months that followed: Soeuth's wariness and detachment; his fear of being seized in the night by his parents' ghosts; Adam's discovery of his new brother's amazing physical skills, like catching fish with his bare hands; and Soeuth's eventual and painful emergence from years of darkness. As Soeuth gradually adjusts to rural middle-class America, a world fantastically foreign from the horrors of his homeland, a bond is formed with his new brothers that would permanently affect them all.

In his senior year of high school, Soeuth leaves home, lured by an anesthetic world of drugs and alcohol. Over the next few years, the brothers drift apart, distracted by college, jobs, girlfriends. Then Soeuth finds out that the members of his Cambodian family -- whom, for fourteen years, he has presumed to be dead-are alive. The discovery is the beginning of a new journey -- one that reunites Soeuth with his long-lost brothers, sisters, and parents...and with his American brother Adam.Amazon.com Review
A cross-cultural meeting between Middle America and Cambodia, A Blessing Over Ashes is an unusual story that combines classic coming-of-age events with the sad history of a young refugee from the devastated Cambodia of the last decades. Soeuth--the refugee--came to live with the Fifield family at the age of 14. Adam, the family's eldest son, narrates the story in conversational slang; reading this book is like listening to an old friend tell his surprising life story. Beginning chapters alternate between Adam and Soeuth's childhood, and the differences are striking, often disturbing: afternoon shopping trips contrasted with work camps, cultural events with exchange students compared with starvation and severe beatings. As they attend school together (Soeuth tutoring Adam in math) and fish (Soeuth successfully with his bare hands, Adam unsuccessfully with rod and reel), they become somewhat closer, but throughout the book there is a sense of distance from Soeuth, a feeling that he is not communicating deeply with anyone. Both boys move through their lives--Adam as a reporter, Soeuth as a mechanic--experiencing relationship troubles, cross-country moves, career frustrations, a marriage, and other fairly standard events. After years believing his Cambodian family dead, Soeuth discovers many relatives are still alive and struggling, and he is able to establish contact with them, which sadly seems to bring more responsibility and guilt than satisfaction. Ending the book on a humorous note, a conversation about a fortune teller and his prediction for Soeuth's life is a hopeful glimpse into what the future may bring now that his two worlds have been brought together. --Jill Lightner ... Read more

Customer Reviews (34)

Very Powerful
I read this book during a recent trip to Cambodia with a Cambodian friend. That fact certainly magnified my reaction, but I would have found this book powerful under any circumstances.

Something that other reviewers have not empahsized is that the Cambodian brother in the story, Soeuth, was just a young child of 7 and is alone during his years in the slave camps. Even if you are familiar with the Pol Pot period you will be deeply moved by the details of day to day life of someone of that age in the camps. The chapters of that period alternate with chapters of the American-born brother at the same age. At first these chapters struck me as mundane - as a bit of a gimmick. They were not. The context proves important because the American-born brother tells the story in a way that Soeuth could not.

In the second half of the book, the two stories converge in America, and after the intense emotion of the killing fields, this too appears mundane - at first. Out of stories of fishing, shop class, and keg parties comes one of the themes of the book; his American years prove as influential on Soeuth, the adult, as his childhood. Not surprisingly, the author is not left unaffected either. The trip to Cambodia made by both brothers bears this out.

Fabulous!
This book is truly remarkable! A wonderful, touching read and incredible insight into the life of this young man. Waiting patiently for Mr. Fifield's next book.

A unique depiction of time, place and family
There are dozens upon dozens of books on the killing fields of Cambodia out there...this one is different, because it tells the story of Adam and his Cambodian foster brother, Seouth.I was drawn to this perspective and enjoyed Adam's writing style very much.His descriptions and use of language are effective at getting emotions across without being sentimental and sloppy.At the end of the book, Adam and Seouth travel to Cambodia, and Adam made me feel as though I was there with them, riding a motobike down a dusty road, taking in the sights and sounds of an unfamiliar culture.Many books do not emphasize how poor the people of Cambodia are in a tangible way...Adam does this beautifully.If you are interested in how historical events affect individuals or have brothers or sisters, this book could change how you look at the world and reaffirm your relationships with others.(P.S...you might cry and laugh!I did).

Riveting
I particularly recommend "A Blessing Over Ashes"for anyone interesed in 20th Century Southeast Asian history, as it puts a painfully personal face on the wars in Cambodia. But even for those who know little about this era, I would recommend it as a compelling story of one person's experiences as a member of two very different families. It is a story of personal identity, and it is a story of our common humanity.Are we defined by race? Blood? Experience? Where, in the end, does Soeuth belong? How can hereconcile his divergent experiences as a Cambodian and as an American? Much of this book is tough going.Soeuth and Adam's visits to the ghostly "re-education centers" are almost unbearably sad, and reminded me of some of the observations Philip Gourevitch makes of Rwanda in his work on another place, another genocide, another year, "We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families." "A Blessing Over Ashes," is as honest a book as I have ever read.

Exquisite Combination of Truth and Compassion
Biographies written by journalists often offer rare treats. This one is no exception. Adam Fifield takes the extraordinary circumstances that brought a young Cambodian boy into his family and tells us how they became true brothers. This book will open your heart and your mind and stay with you for a long, wonderful time. ... Read more

Product Description
Danger, romance, adventure, exotic places, miracles. A thrilling Christian biography of a Cambodian man whose idyllic childhood in a Cambodian jungle village was shattered by the Khmer Rouge takeover in 1975. Physa survived the killing fields, was forced to serve as a communist soldier, escaped over landmine-infested borders, experienced young love in a refugee camp, took the identity of a dead man, faced the bewilderments of American culture, and came to life-transforming faith in Jesus Christ, who revealed his love to Physa in miracle after miracle.

Includes maps, bibliography, illustrations, and black/white photos taken in Cambodia, Thailand, and U.S.A. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

No More Fear
This book is one that will continue to be my favorite.It is filled with wonderful imagery and a sense of being a part of the story.Personally, I have become closer to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ after reading Pastor Physa's book.I recommend this book to all non-believers and believers.This book is a wonderful depiction of God's sovereign mercy and grace.Thank you Pastor Physa for sharing your life.May God bless you with everlasting joy.

You won't be able to put this one down!
"No More Fear" offers a first-hand account of what happened early in Cambodia during Pol Pot's murderous regime.Physa's story is so gripping that I found it impossible to put the book down.The author doesa good job of conveying the message of hope, faith and trust in God in thisbook.

This book is educational, inspirational, and a good story!
This book was interesting, inspiring and at times horrifying!I was given a peek into the quiet almost bucolic lifestyle of a small village in Laos. Village customs, religious practices, childhood antics were all related ina simple and smooth style.Then the reader experiences the abruptdestruction of this life when the Khmer Forces forced them from theirvillage and farms, separating children from their families, killing,putting people to hard labor.The brutality of this time is describedwithout hype or sensationalism; instead allowing the power of those eventsto stand starkly in the reader's mind.But the last portion of the bookbrings yet another strand;the element of hope.As Physsa relates hisstruggles as a refugee, the reader cannot help but see the work of God inthis young man's life.It is a remarkable story about a remarkable person. But mostly it is a story of hope and redemption. ... Read more

Product Description
Grades 7 and up

Sundara fled Cambodia with her aunt's family to escape the Khmer Rouge army when she was thirteen, leaving behind her parents, her brother and sister, and the boy she had loved since she was a child.

Now, four years later, she struggles to fit in at her Oregon high school and to be "a good Cambodian girl" at home. A good Cambodian girl never dates; she waits for her family to arrange her marriage to a Cambodian boy. Yet Sundara and Jonathan, an extraordinary American boy, are powerfully drawn to each other. Haunted by grief for her lost family and for the life left behind, Sundara longs to be with him. At the same time she wonders, Are her hopes for happiness and new life in America disloyal to her past and her people? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (90)

children Of The river
Sarah
3/26/07


The book "Children Of The River"by: Linda Crewis about a young girl named Sundra and her aunts family, who are traveling from Cambodia to America. Sundra and her aunts family don't know what happend to her family because they were unable to escape from Cambodia. It was hard for Sundra to live in America because they had to work from dawn to dusk trying to make enough money to live in a house and to buy food. When Sundra turns 18 years old she has to get married because it's a Cambodian tradition and, usually her parents would arrange the marrage but since her family was gone her aunt arranged the wedding. Sundra's uncle is forbidding her from seeing the American boy because he is "white" But Sundra really likes the boy and he really likes her.
My opinion on the book is that it was pretty good because there was really good details and, the author really discribed the characters. But it was hard to understand since there were harder words in it. I also thought that the book ws a little bit borringat some parts. Maybe if there was more action in the book it would have been better. I would reccomend this book to people who like reading about culture and the different types of people and their historical background.

children Of The river
Sarah
3/26/07


The book "Children Of The River"by: Linda Crewis about a young girl named Sundra and her aunts family, who are traveling from Cambodia to America. Sundra and her aunts family don't know what happend to her family because they were unable to escape from Cambodia. It was hard for Sundra to live in America because they had to work from dawn to dusk trying to make enough money to live in a house and to buy food. When Sundra turns 18 years old she has to get married because it's a Cambodian tradition and, usually her parents would arrange the marrage but since her family was gone her aunt arranged the wedding. Sundra's uncle is forbidding her from seeing the American boy because he is "white" But Sundra really likes the boy and he really likes her.
My opinion on the book is that it was pretty good because there was really good details and, the author really discribed the characters. But it was hard to understand since there were harder words in it. I also thought that the book ws a little bit borringat some parts. Maybe if there was more action in the book it would have been better. I would reccomend this book to people who like reading about culture and the different types of people and their historical background.

Children of the River

Allison
3/9/07
Book review: Children of the River


The book I am reading "Children of the River" is about a little girl and her family having to move to the United States, and them trying to fit in and trying to find there place in this strange new place.They really like to pick berries and they work in a market place for their monthly income.This is not the best book in the world but there are somethings I like about the book.The theme of the book is about history and I am not really big into history.So if you really like history this is the book for you. One of the things I like about the book is how they freak out about things that are really things that are good for them.For example in the story the family gets this letter about they are going to get money and they think that they have to pay this big fine.The kind of books I like are the ones about people my age and are going through break ups with their boyfriends, and this book is nothing like that.

Children Of The River
Jasmine
2/28/07
Review: Children of The River

"Children of the River", in my opinion, was not a very good book. At first it got my attention because the summery on the back cover, worded it, as a adventurous survival story. A story of a 13 year old Native American who flew off to Cambodia to escape the Khmer Ruge Army, and left her family behind, in search of a new life. And yes that did happen in this book, but the story was stretched out, long, and boring.I would not recommend this book to anyone, unless they have some time to waist. On a scale from one to five i would rate this book a two. Only because it may help some people with an idea of Native American history.

Children of the River
This book is wonderful and exciting ...... Its a warm tale about girl escaping from her country at war and dealing with the conflicts and changes of living in America. This story will keep you glued from the beginning to the end. ... Read more