When Broken Glass Floats: Growing Up Under the Khmer Rouge

Nonfiction, History, Asian, Southeast Asia, Biography & Memoir
Cover of the book When Broken Glass Floats: Growing Up Under the Khmer Rouge by Chanrithy Him, W. W. Norton & Company
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Chanrithy Him ISBN: 9780393076165
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company Publication: April 17, 2001
Imprint: W. W. Norton & Company Language: English
Author: Chanrithy Him
ISBN: 9780393076165
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Publication: April 17, 2001
Imprint: W. W. Norton & Company
Language: English

Chanrithy Him felt compelled to tell of surviving life under the Khmer Rouge in a way "worthy of the suffering which I endured as a child."

In the Cambodian proverb, "when broken glass floats" is the time when evil triumphs over good. That time began in 1975, when the Khmer Rouge took power in Cambodia and the Him family began their trek through the hell of the "killing fields." In a mesmerizing story, Him vividly recounts a Cambodia where rudimentary labor camps are the norm and technology, such as cars and electricity, no longer exists. Death becomes a companion at the camps, along with illness. Yet through the terror, Chanrithy's family remains loyal to one another despite the Khmer Rouge's demand of loyalty only to itself. Moments of inexpressible sacrifice and love lead them to bring what little food they have to the others, even at the risk of their own lives. In 1979, "broken glass" finally sinks. From a family of twelve, only five of the Him children survive. Sponsored by an uncle in Oregon, they begin their new lives in a land that promises welcome to those starved for freedom.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Chanrithy Him felt compelled to tell of surviving life under the Khmer Rouge in a way "worthy of the suffering which I endured as a child."

In the Cambodian proverb, "when broken glass floats" is the time when evil triumphs over good. That time began in 1975, when the Khmer Rouge took power in Cambodia and the Him family began their trek through the hell of the "killing fields." In a mesmerizing story, Him vividly recounts a Cambodia where rudimentary labor camps are the norm and technology, such as cars and electricity, no longer exists. Death becomes a companion at the camps, along with illness. Yet through the terror, Chanrithy's family remains loyal to one another despite the Khmer Rouge's demand of loyalty only to itself. Moments of inexpressible sacrifice and love lead them to bring what little food they have to the others, even at the risk of their own lives. In 1979, "broken glass" finally sinks. From a family of twelve, only five of the Him children survive. Sponsored by an uncle in Oregon, they begin their new lives in a land that promises welcome to those starved for freedom.

More books from W. W. Norton & Company

Cover of the book Defying Dixie: The Radical Roots of Civil Rights, 1919-1950 by Chanrithy Him
Cover of the book Barely Composed: Poems by Chanrithy Him
Cover of the book Nazi Games: The Olympics of 1936 by Chanrithy Him
Cover of the book Religion as We Know It: An Origin Story by Chanrithy Him
Cover of the book Swoon: Great Seducers and Why Women Love Them by Chanrithy Him
Cover of the book You Will See Fire: A Search for Justice in Kenya by Chanrithy Him
Cover of the book Target Tokyo: Jimmy Doolittle and the Raid That Avenged Pearl Harbor by Chanrithy Him
Cover of the book Ripley's Game by Chanrithy Him
Cover of the book The Dark Side of the Enlightenment: Wizards, Alchemists, and Spiritual Seekers in the Age of Reason by Chanrithy Him
Cover of the book Knitting Pearls: Writers Writing About Knitting by Chanrithy Him
Cover of the book Mama's Last Hug: Animal and Human Emotions by Chanrithy Him
Cover of the book The Shadow King: A Novel by Chanrithy Him
Cover of the book The Abu Dhabi Bar Mitzvah: Fear and Love in the Modern Middle East by Chanrithy Him
Cover of the book Hello World: Being Human in the Age of Algorithms by Chanrithy Him
Cover of the book The Painter from Shanghai: A Novel by Chanrithy Him
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy