First They Killed My Father: a Daughter of Cambodia Remembers

First They Killed My Father: a Daughter of Cambodia Remembers | Loung Ung

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This one is heavy on the heart. I am ashamed to admit that I was woefully unaware of the genocide in Cambodia. After reading this, I read up on the same and I wonder why we as kids are not taught about this in history.

F for A to Z challenge!

16 likes

Trace

First They Killed My Father: a Daughter of Cambodia Remembers | Loung Ung

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I had only seen the first half of the movie.

4 likes

Sleepswithbooks

First They Killed My Father: a Daughter of Cambodia Remembers | Loung Ung

Airplane reading … long weekend and family time ❤️

#PureMichigan #family #books #readeverywhere #readdontwork

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Enjoy!! You deserve it ❤️ 3y

Sleepswithbooks Thanks love @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 3y

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Sleepswithbooks 🥰🥰🥰 3y

60 likes3 comments

Ast_Arslan

First They Killed My Father: a Daughter of Cambodia Remembers | Loung Ung

@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
@Eggs
#Beginswith First

Day 10

Eggs Thoughtful choice 👏🏻📚 3y

28 likes1 comment

Carolhreads

First They Killed My Father: a Daughter of Cambodia Remembers | Loung Ung

Starting

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jenniferw88

First They Killed My Father: a Daughter of Cambodia Remembers | Loung Ung

#bookspinbingo card for July @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Yay!! Love it!! 3y

42 likes1 comment

jenniferw88

First They Killed My Father: a Daughter of Cambodia Remembers | Loung Ung

Back to #bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks

Aiming to read a lot of books for #readingasia2021 next month!

BarbaraBB Wow! 4y

TheAromaofBooks Whoa, you're really planning ahead!! Looks great!! 4y

42 likes2 comments

Julsmarshall

First They Killed My Father: a Daughter of Cambodia Remembers | Loung Ung

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What a painful, illuminating, honest and heartbreaking book! Told from the perspective of a young girl, this examination of Cambodia during Pol Pot‘s murderous reign doesn‘t look away from the atrocities conducted by the Khmer Rouge. The perseverance of the author and her family are inspiring and remind the reader of the strength of the human spirit. Difficult to read but so worth it! #ReadingWomen2020 #Booked2020 #AboutGenocide #challenge

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Julsmarshall

First They Killed My Father: a Daughter of Cambodia Remembers | Loung Ung

#currentread

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Michellesibs

First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers | Loung Ung

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This is an own voices account of the Pol Pot regime, the regime that killed two million Cambodians, a quarter of the country's population and its a hard read. It felt physically exhausting to tell you the truth.

Angelina Jolie and her adopted son Maddox (a Cambodian) have produced a netflix original film based on this book under the same name which is also well worth watching.

Im not here to rate peoples lives, an auto five star from me.

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samantharoberts

First They Killed My Father: a Daughter of Cambodia Remembers | Loung Ung

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A heartbreaking retelling of events by the author who, as a small child, survived the Cambodian Genocide under the dictator Pol Pot and the brutal Khmer Rouge regime. I found myself stopping the book often to do my own research on the side, because admittedly I didn‘t know much about this topic before. I can‘t believe this was only about 40 years ago when roughly 2 million people were tortured and murdered in Cambodia. ⬇️⬇️⬇️

Cinfhen, BarbaraTheBibliophage, alisiakae

samantharoberts Reading the words of someone who actually went through this at only 5 years old was almost too hard to bear. It‘s hard to imagine someone actually going through so much trauma and hardship, especially at such a young age. This was my #Booked2020 pick for the “Set in Southern Asia” prompt 4y

Suet624 I‘ve been too timid to read this. The world feels like a very harsh place. 4y

BarbaraTheBibliophage Whew. It does sound intense. I put off our #aboutgenocide prompt for a long time because of the same feelings. But my historical fiction choice was actually a lot less emotional than I expected. (edited) 4y

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Marni

First They Killed My Father: a Daughter of Cambodia Remembers | Loung Ung

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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Trying to finish the prompts for #Booked2020Spring. This book is a powerful memoir that takes you in the Cambodian communist regime and genocide from a child‘s point of view. Definitely not an easy read, but an important one.
#booked2020
#genocide
#virtualmountTBR
#read2020
29/36

Cinfhen, BarbaraTheBibliophage, alisiakae

BarbaraTheBibliophage Good job—this is such a tough prompt. 5y

Cinfhen Lovely review 5y

Curiouser_and_curiouser I've got this on my shelf. I'll need to be in a strong place when I start this one. The movie was hard enough. 4y

12 likes3 comments

Marni

First They Killed My Father: a Daughter of Cambodia Remembers | Loung Ung

Cleaned up after our Nailed It project while listening to this book and having such gratitude that I can provide a good life for my 5 year old daughter. #gratitude #memoir #cambodia #communistregime

tpixie Adorable! 🎂 5y

12 likes1 comment

Marni

First They Killed My Father: a Daughter of Cambodia Remembers | Loung Ung

Phnom Penh City wakes early to take advantage of the cool morning breeze before the sun breaks through the haze and invades the country with a sweltering heat.

#FirstLineFridays

ShyBookOwl

11 likes

Hestapleton

First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers | Loung Ung

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My mental health has REALLY been getting in the way of my reading but I managed to finish my May #BookSpin pick! I didn‘t know much about the Khmer Rouge and I still feel like I don‘t, since the author was five during these events. I did learn a lot about the experience of genocide and being a refugee from a child, which makes my heart break even more when I think about the world. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Also my book about genocide for #booked2020

TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks It's been really hard for me to focus on serious/sad books right now, so I'm impressed that you got through this one! 5y

Hestapleton @TheAromaofBooks the memoir format and the fact that author was 5-8 during these events helped! While sad, there wasn‘t a lot of gore. I think the anxiety/depression have also made it hard to deeply connect with books for me right now too. 🤷🏼‍♀️ 5y

70 likes2 comments

Kristinechynna

First They Killed My Father: a Daughter of Cambodia Remembers | Loung Ung

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“Wait, I‘ll get you some toilet paper.” Ma goes away and comes back with a bunch of paper sheets in her hand. My eyes widen in disbelief, “Ma! It‘s money. I can‘t use money!”
This was one of my most favorite scenes from the book. Luong felt the need to go but had nothing to use for wiping. It was supposed to be funny but I found it painful as well. Money has no power in a situation where the rich should not exist. It can be as worthless as shit.

1 like

StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego

First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers | Loung Ung

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A first hand account of the genocide in Cambodia during the 70s, committed by Pol Pot & the Khmer Rouge regime. An excellent & informative read. We really must remember & understand these horrific moments in history.

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Billypar

First They Killed My Father: a Daughter of Cambodia Remembers | Loung Ung

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Ung recounts the horrors of 1970s Cambodia through the eyes of her 5-year-old self as her parents and six siblings flee their home and middle class lifestyle with the rise of the Khmer Rouge. The family live in fear of the father's connection to the old government being discovered as the whole country slowly starves to death in work camps. Ung's portrayal of her emotional reaction and resilience during this nightmare is poignant and unforgettable.

Suet624 For some reason I‘ve been so scared to read this book. I often read painful stories like this, but this one haunts me and I haven‘t even read it. 🤦🏻‍♀️ 5y

Billypar @Suet624 There are a few scenes of directly observed violence, but most are not, though the author imagines how they might have happened. It goes into the most detail about the hunger and terrible work conditions faced. Disturbing, but worth it when you're ready for it. 5y

Suet624 Thanks for the info 👍🏼🙏 5y

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rockpools

First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers | Loung Ung

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Harrowing.

Cambodia 1975. Louang was 5 years old when the Khmer Rouge took power. Her privileged city life changed overnight, as her family fled to the country, hid their background, endured famine, betrayal, separation. Louang eventually ends up in a camp for child soldiers, where her understandable hate & anger is stoked.

I would recommend this to understand a little of the horrors of ‘regime change‘ and the experience of the Killing Fields 👇

Cinfhen, Riveted_Reader_Melissa, BarbaraTheBibliophage, alisiakae

rockpools I did, however, struggle with the writing style. This is the story of her life, aged from 5 to 8, and is written in the first person present - but there was so much the readers needed explaining that the voice couldn‘t be that of a young child - it led to a disconnect. The nightmare sequences, where she imagines how her family members may have died also threw me. 5y

rockpools I have so much respect for her telling her story and reliving her experiences. A very uncomfortable and difficult read.

#ASoldiersStory #Booked2019 #NonFiction2019 #FromAnotherCountry 5y

JennyM This sounds absolutely harrowing 💔 5y

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rockpools @JennyM Yes! 😔 5y

TrishB Great review Rachel. Sounds like a tough read. 5y

rockpools @TrishB Thanks - yes, I struggled with it. 5y

alisiakae Excellent review. I read this around the time it was first published and it left a deep impression. 5y

BarbaraTheBibliophage Great pick and sounds thought provoking and intense. ♥️📚👊🏻 5y

Cinfhen This one sounds really painful 😣 I‘m not in a good head space for this memoir now. Beautiful review 💜 5y

53 likes4 stack adds9 comments

rockpools

First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers | Loung Ung

Train reading. Beautiful sunny day here today.

batsy You're killing me with your gorgeous views lately! In a good way 😆😍 5y

julesG Lovely view. 5y

Soubhiville That‘s beautiful. 5y

rockpools @batsy 😂 It‘s grey and drizzly/foggy so much of the time, I snap pretty when I can actually see it! 5y

rockpools @julesG @Soubhiville We‘re quite good at green round here - I‘m very lucky! 5y

50 likes5 comments

rockpools

First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers | Loung Ung

Started this one for #nfnov on an #audiorun yesterday.

Loung Ung starts her story as a precocious , curious, middle-class 5-year old in Phnom Penh. I‘ve realised already how shockingly little I know about Cambodia or the Killing Fields. #TIL that the Khmer Rouge overthrew the Cambodian government in 1975 - that feels so recent. Think this will be a tough read 😞

Clwojick, rsteve388

Libby1 Your photos are beautiful, @RachelO . 5y

rockpools @Libby1 Thanks Libby 😊. I figure there‘s probably only so many times I can use an Overdrive screenshot 😬 5y

Libby1 I don‘t even know what that means but it looks nice! 🤣 5y

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rockpools @Libby1 😂🤣Sorry- not you! Not had enough coffee to make sense yet! 5y

alisiakae I have a signed copy of this book! One of my first signed copies ever. I went to a conference where she was a speaker way back in the early 2000‘s. It‘s a great book. 5y

iread2much The first time I learned about the killing fields was when I was teenager, through the Manga Sanctuary by Sho Fummimura. It was hard to read about in fiction, I can‘t even imagine for non-fiction. Good luck! 5y

Blaire This has been on my tbr for years and years. 5y

Clwojick 4pt 5y

Caterina Several of my friends were volunteers in Cambodia a couple years ago, it was so heartbreaking to learn about its history and especially the role that the US played in that history. 💔 5y

Caterina Also is this where you were running?? It's gorgeous! 😍 5y

rockpools @Caterina It is! When I mention running along the sea wall, this is it. Think I‘m going to have to follow your lead and find a treadmill for the winter though - it‘s not somewhere to run in weather, and we get a fair bit of weather here! 5y

rockpools @Caterina Oh my goodness! It‘s somewhere you hardly ever hear about- I think it will be heartbreaking 😞 5y

rockpools @Blaire I‘ll let you know how I get on! 5y

rockpools @iread2much Thanks - I hadn‘t heard of that. Sadly Manga isn‘t one if my library‘s great strengths, but I will look out for that one. 5y

rockpools @4thhouseontheleft Wow! That must have been quite something. 5y

iread2much @RachelO I hope you get a chance to read them, they are very graphic but really interesting 5y

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Kboltz

First They Killed My Father: a Daughter of Cambodia Remembers | Loung Ung

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True story of 5 year old Loung and her family and how they had to survive the Killing Fields of Cambodia. Watched this on Netflix and had to read it. What a hard book to read but one that you should read. I was 10 in America when this happened and that makes me think how things like this were happening and still happen in our world today. This girl/woman is the bravest person ever.

4 likes

Booksnob

First They Killed My Father: a Daughter of Cambodia Remembers | Loung Ung

Started my travel reading. I‘m going to Cambodia in June and thought it was time to read this memoir. Incredible survival story.

Caterina I almost bought this on Monday at a used bookstore. Look forward to hearing what you think, I'm sure it will be a tough read. The Lutheran volunteer program that placed me in Palestine 2017-2018 also has volunteers in Cambodia, and those volunteers taught me a lot about Cambodia. Heartbreaking what the U.S. did to it, and heartbreaking that they lost free press last year. 6y

Booksnob I have so much to learn about Cambodia. @Caterina Thanks for sharing this with me. The book is heartbreaking but also full of hope. 6y

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Abby2

First They Killed My Father: a Daughter of Cambodia Remembers | Loung Ung

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Horrible story of survival under Pol Pot. Really well written and a testament to family and strength.

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SoManyBooksNotEnoughTime

First They Killed My Father: a Daughter of Cambodia Remembers | Loung Ung

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A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers.

Heart-wrenching but fantastic series #Lulu ❤️
The movie on Netflix is definitely worth checking out, as well.

#LiteraryLuck #DoYouRemember

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Kristy_K

First They Killed My Father: a Daughter of Cambodia Remembers | Loung Ung

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So tragic and sad. You could feel Ung‘s heartbreak, confusion, and anger through her words.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#biography #cambodia

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Jess7

First They Killed My Father: a Daughter of Cambodia Remembers | Loung Ung

Book mail arrived today! 📚📬 Thanks so much Jill for passing this along! I‘m excited to read it and then watch the #netflix film by #AngelinaJolie. Did you watch it after?

#FirstTheyKilledMyFather by #LoungUng is “a moving story of war crimes and desperate actions, the unnerving strength of a small girl, and her triumphant spirit as she survived the Cambodian genocide under Pol Pot‘s brutal regime.” #TBR #nonfiction #booktoscreen #bookmail

thejillest

thejillest Yeahhhhh I‘m so glad it came! I didn‘t watch the movie yet, but I‘ll do that soon!! 7y

Ingerella I didn't realize this was a book! I've been wanting to see the movie but maybe I'll hold off and read the book first. 7y

Melkyl My students just finished this book. They paired it with Night and the reviews were overwhelmingly positive for both. Each group had to research a genocide that they then shared in our Museum walk. It‘s a tough unit, but the students say it makes them appreciate what they have.

Night

(edited) 7y

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Jess7 Thanks for the info. I‘ll have to check that one out @Melwilk — I‘m going to tag @thejillest too so she sees your comment above about that book too. :-) 7y

JamieArc A similar book might be this one. Great book, but heartbreaking and stayed with me for a while.

In The Shadow Of The Banyan

Jazruiz.2014 I didn‘t realize it was a book!!! Love 7y

thejillest I‘ve read “night,” but as far as holocaust survivor books go, this reminded me more of “a lucky child.” Maybe because of the amount of sheer luck involved in her story.

A Lucky Child: A Memoir of Surviving Auschwitz as a Young Boy

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thejillest

First They Killed My Father: a Daughter of Cambodia Remembers | Loung Ung

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Great read about a part of history I knew nothing about. Ung says in the author‘s note “if you had been living in Cambodia during this period, this would be your story too.”

Jess7 I really want to read this one! 7y

knittedgnome I thought this was excellent! 7y

thejillest @Jess7 I‘d be happy to pass it on to you! (edited) 7y

See All 8 Comments

thejillest @knittedgnome me too! Very interesting and it made me so thankful for a kitchen full of groceries 7y

knittedgnome @thejillest really does. 7y

Jess7 You don‘t want to keep it? That‘s really nice of you. @thejillest 7y

thejillest @Jess7 some books are meant to be given away ;) 7y

Jess7 You‘re the best!! 🤗🤗🤗 7y

3 likes8 comments

erzascarletbookgasm

First They Killed My Father: a Daughter of Cambodia Remembers | Loung Ung

Stories of wars and war crimes- whether the Nazi Holocaust or the Rwandan genocide, or this, about a girl‘s survival in the Cambodian‘s massacres under the Khmer Rouge - are never easy to read. A great crime to the human spirit.
#aprella #cruelworld

Cinfhen, Reviewsbylola, emilyhaldi, Mdargusch

emilyhaldi 🖤🖤🖤 7y

Cortg My sister has been wanting me to read this for years. I really need to pick it up! 7y

Mdargusch Sounds like a hard book to read. 😢 7y

Reviewsbylola 💔💔💔 7y

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knittedgnome

First They Killed My Father: a Daughter of Cambodia Remembers | Loung Ung

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This book really showed me how little I actually know about the Vietnam War. It follows a Cambodian family and is an eye opening story. The horrors the author/narrator and her family lived through are told in a truthful and heartbreaking way.

I would like to read more on this topic if anyone has recommendations for me.

Sleepswithbooks I just added this to my tbr list... it looks fascinating. 7y

knittedgnome @Stacypatrice it was fascinating and horrific. I guess I have only thought of the soldiers there and not so much about the people who lived there. 7y

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jamielaine

First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers | Loung Ung

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Good

agoodstoppingpt

First They Killed My Father: a Daughter of Cambodia Remembers | Loung Ung

Saw the great movie adaptation and now I am reading the memoir it was based upon. As much as I liked the film, I‘m glad to get the more detailed story from the book.

2 likes

ameline.d

First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers | Loung Ung

so-so

A good insight about Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. Written from the author's POV. Can be a bit slow but overall not bad.

3 likes

ameline.d

First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers | Loung Ung

#FirstTheyKilledMyFather #LoungUng #CurrentlyReading #WeekendReads #ReadingChallenge #Goodreads #ReadMoreBooks #MalaysianReader #Sabahan #KoboGloHd #Kobo #ILoveReading

3 likes

CareBear

First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers | Loung Ung

Heading to NYC for the day to visit my BFF who's in town from Austin. Getting lots of reading in during travel time but a tough read in public 😢

61 likes

FairyHighRoad

First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers | Loung Ung

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One of my favorite books written by an Asian author is First They Killed My Father by Loung Ung. It is a heartbreaking account of a Cambodian family during the rise of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge.

LitsyFeministBookClub

13 likes

teebe

First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers | Loung Ung

A must-read #setinsoutheastasia #aprilbookshowers

RealLifeReading

LeahBergen Damn it! I was just going to post this one. 😂😂 8y

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MarlysWS

First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers | Loung Ung

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No one should have to read this book because this shouldn't be the history of a nation of people. But it is and it is so very similar to stories from hundreds of other nations' pasts and to thousands of people currently living within violent conflicts RIGHT NOW.

And so, because of that, this is a book that everyone should read. It is difficult to take in. Overcome the fear of reading this truth and hear Loung Ung's story.

7 likes

Melkyl

First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers | Loung Ung

A very interesting book #setinasia is First They Killed My Father by Luong Ung. My students read this last year for a unit on genocides, and they really took it to heart. The book chronicles the experiences of the author and her family in Cambodia during the reign of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. I had the privilege of seeing the author speak at Kent State during our study of the book, and she was so inspiring. #somethingforsept

RealLifeReading

Mamashep I read the final book in her trilogy several years ago and have always meant to go back and read this one. 8y

Melkyl @Mamashep I have yet to read her other books, but the are on my TBR pile. 8y

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Alisnazzy

First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers | Loung Ung

This is my "I've been in NY for one week" #augusthaul All are used or bargain books. Thanks to my mother-in-law for the gift of ? to get these. She's the best. Excited for all of these! #augustphotochallenge #augustofbooks

ErikasMindfulShelf Great haul! I really like The Winter People, Broken Monsters and Kate Morton! 8y

britt_brooke Wow, nice! 8y

[DELETED] 2232195534 Bel Canto, Forgotten Garden, Still Alice, Winter People - all recommended by me!! Enjoy! 8y

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OSChamberlain Vonnegut 😍😍😍 8y

Cinfhen What an awesome haul and even more amazing mother in law🍀enjoy!!! 8y

Litlady Such a beautiful stack of literary yumminess! Props to one terrific ma-in-law, too! 👍👏💜📚🤓 8y

erzascarletbookgasm Some great titles there! Enjoy! 8y

Pamtherunner Just finished the winter people and loved it! 8y

BillKathyWms Wow!! Nice!! Love Bel Canto!! Enjoyed Still Alice too!! HaPpY Reading!! 📚❤️ 8y

Cortg Oooh, they all look good, many on my TBR list! 8y

readinginthedark Loved Still Alice! I wish my MIL was that awesome! 😋 8y

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Floresj

First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers | Loung Ung

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Great book! Loung's voice is clear and tells her story really well. Again, I didn't know about Cambodia's civil war and this was pretty interesting. I loved her relationship with her Pa and her honesty in the decisions she made in order to survive. #readaroundtheworld

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