First They Killed My Father

First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers is a 2000 nonfiction book written by a Cambodian author and survivor of the Pol Pot regime Loung Ung. It is a personal account of her experiences during the Khmer Rouge years. BB was five years old in Cambodia at the start of the Pol Pot Regime. They were seen as very wealthy, and Loung was spoiled among her brothers and sisters. Her father was a middle-class government worker, and thu... more

First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers is a 2000 nonfiction book written by a Cambodian author and survivor of the Pol Pot regime Loung Ung. It is a personal account of her experiences during the Khmer Rouge years. BB was five years old in Cambodia at the start of the Pol Pot Regime. They were seen as very wealthy, and Loung was spoiled among her brothers and sisters. Her father was a middle-class government worker, and thus a prime target for the Khmer Rouge; a group of soldiers that follow one man, Pol Pot. Since they have won the war they have taken power over the country. They wish to cleanse the country of all foreigns and wish for all to evacuate the city to work on farms in the countryside. Those who refuse are killed, along with many government ceos and capitalists. Loung, her dog, and her many siblings had to flee their home, setting out with no warning and no destination. They had to leave almost everything behind and pretend to be a farming family,... less