Lucky Child

It's been 30 years since Pol Pot's regime rose to power in Cambodia. Under the Khmer Rouge, nearly 2 million people were killed. An untold number were systematically tortured for being enemies of the state. Many were executed, others died of starvation and exhaustion. Author Loung Ung's family was torn apart. As a young girl, she remembers soldiers coming for her father knowing she would never see him again. One older sister died alone in a labor camp. Later, both her mother and younger sister disappeared. When her brother found a way to get to the United States, he brought Loung, with him, leaving the rest of their family behind. In her new book Lucky Child, Loung Ung recounts the parallel lives she and her remaining siblings led worlds apart.  Today's Connection Show from NPR is called Remembering Cambodia and one family's struggle to survive and you can hear an interview with Loung.   

The publisher's pages have more information about the book as well as a link to the author's web site.  On the web site, there is a brief video documentary.