pickTian Veasna uses the graphic format to recount his family's experience in Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge.
We are to witness the horrors, the violence, the absurdity of the regime, with some moments of bliss, solidarity, compassion, and hope. It's a very detailed book, perfectly constructed, with all the necessary information to understand the regime and the context.
I love graphic nonfictions, and this one didn't disappoint.
pickMy #doublespin was this powerhouse graphic novel about life in Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge. As expected, it was hard to read and view at times. I was looking for a translated work with a layperson‘s view of what happened, and this fits the bill. It follows the (mis)fortunes of one extended family who lived in Phnomh Penh as the Khmer seized power and tracks them for the next several years until the Vietnamese come to power. Haunting. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
pickPowerful GN telling the story of the author's family and their lives under the Khmer Rouge.
pickAll three of these graphic memoirs were exceptional. Year of the Rabbit is likely one of my top 5 reads this year. Most of the violent details are left out, which is even more chilling, given that he is recounting the story of his family and you realize it was too traumatic for them to revisit the most violent parts. What‘s left unsaid became more powerful in this sense. All three are excellent and high recommends!
pickThe self-destructive nature of the Khmer Rogue is both horrific and captivating. Killing off a 25% of the population for the most trivial of reasons with no real idea or plan of how a population would adjust to an agrarian life is just flabbergasting.
pickA graphic novel about people fleeing their homes, running from their government and finding their way back together.
12: tagged + 5 others
13: Meal (Delliquanti & Ho) -about insect cuisine
14: Song of the Sea by Jenn Alexander (only thanks to book club!)
15: The Story of More (Jahren) + several more
16: The Mirror & the Light (Mantel) which I just realize I didn‘t count under ‘last book in a series.‘
#readharder
pickGraphic novel about the author‘s family fleeing Phnom Penh and surviving the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia in the 70s. I appreciated the extra historical context. A difficult but necessary story.
pickA deeply moving true account of an extended family‘s escape during the brutal time of the Khmer Rouge in 1970s Cambodia. Cartoonist Tian Veasna was born 3 days after the takeover, while his parents were on the move. It‘s a difficult yet ultimately hopeful story of survival. #Comics #Translation
Refugee survival strategy: filter muddy water through a scarf, then boil it before drinking.
The ingenuity of this family! Forced to evacuate Phnom Penh at the start of the Khmer Rouge regime in 1975, the men dismantled their cars and made carts so they could cross rivers where bridges had been destroyed. Two in the image above are shirtless because they traded their clothing for lumber.
Year of the Rabbit | 
