Lucky Child by Loung Ung

It's been a while since I listened to First they killed My Father. It was an amazing story I just happened to fluke upon it all began by wanting to know more about Cambodia and the Khmer Rouge. Then I found Loung Ung's book and thought what better way to understand what actually happened. It's a pretty tragic story and if you want to hear my thoughts on it then check out my earlier review and also while I'm netioning that anyone interested in knowing more about her books or her own life check out her site, trust me you won't regret it and it'll probably take five minutes of your time.

Also just as a way of a brief overview the Khmer Rouge invaded Phenom Penh Cambodia's capital in 1975. They then sent all Cambodians into the Country side and established a communist dictatorship with a guy named Pol Pot at its head. Everyone was forced to work as peasants growing rice under the constant watch of Khmer soldeirs. To maintain power they slaughtered any intellectuals, including engineers, teachers, doctors and anyone in the previous government. About a third of the population of Cambodia was killed during the regime, which lasted only 4 years until Vietnam crossed Cambodia's border and invaded driving Pol Pot's forces back. Anyway, anyone who is at the moment unaware of these tragic events, do yourself a favour and try to learn a bit more.

Okay now on to Lucky Child basically this book tells the story of the aftermath of the Pol Pot regime. In the end of Loung Ung's first memoir, she was on her way to the USA with her elderst brother Meng and his wife Eang. Her sister Chou and brothers Khouy and Kim were left back in Cambodia with her Aunt and Uncle. So this is the story of everything that happened between Choi and Loung's separation and their reunion fifteen years later in 1995. So it tells both Chou's story and Loungs.

I have to mention here that what Loung does really well is write. Not only is her content very moving, but I enjoy her descriptions particularly when she first arrives in America and describes everyone by what animal they are. It's a perfect way to describe that sense of how alien the new world is of course what I find funny and what I'm arleady privy too is there's a bit near the start where an American is showing them how to use basic household appliances. It's funny that they assume they never had Televisions or any luxuries in Cambodia. It's interesting of course that this isn't the case at all, having read the life Loung lived in Phom Penh before the Khmer Rouge.

On the other side of the world Chou is having a pretty hard life, but has her family. I think what Loung captures in the chapters about her sister, is the clear and present danger. There are many incidents where Chou and her family are forced to hide and directly confront Khmer Rouge soldiers prowling through their neighbourhoods.

There's also the subplot about Loung wanted to forget her family and struggling to move past the pain. She wants to be all American and forget where she came from. I find that Loung really captures the past the way it invades her life. There's a particularly eerie moment by the pool at a party she goes to as a girl. A boy falls under the water for a moment and life guards and mothers are on alert. They fish him out after he's been submerged for a few moments. All Loung can think is how angry she is. She's angry at how lucky that boy is and how none of them understand the pain. She says later on in the book that violence is something that comes naturally to her and needs to be controlled.

I think perhaps that's what's so powerful about Loung's writing it is so brutally honest. It doesn't skim over anything. It's amazing to even have someone brave enough to write about the torments they endured, but to admit to the ugliest thoughts going through their head is something particularly moving.

As with her other book though I think what I love is the strength of the Ung family. At the end of the novel when Loung and her sister reunite, I did cry and I had the biggest smile on my face. It was really touching, because to them family is everything. In a way I think we all underestimate the importance of family so I think it's important to have books and writers, even just writing about that for a change.

I can't recommend Loung Ung's books enough. I think a third one is coming out next year. So I'll be back for more when I see that out on the shelfs, but honestly I cannot recommend this enough. This is a great piece of writing and an amazing story about truly courageous people. At the same time it's also a touching story about the very simple pleasures and agonies of family life.

Happy reading everyone! Next I've got a shorty but hopefully a goody. It has a spiffy title, but let's see what the books like. Stay tuned for next time for I'm Not a Serial Killer by Dan Wells.

The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon

I was meaning to write this discussion (or review) sooner. It's funny I heard something some guy called Jack Heath said at the Speculative Fiction Festival recently and he said he hadn't been reading any female writer and so has made a vow for this whole year to read only female writers.

Anyway, why do I mention that? I don't know, I'm not going to get into gender stereotyping in terms of the very heartfelt and touching Speed of Dark I just wanted to point out that inadverdently this blog has an uneven distribution of male to female authors funnily enough, even though as history continues to tell us there are probably twice as many or just as many excellent female writers. So here I am to look at what I consider to be another of them.

The book is essentially set in the near future. It's a future pretty much the same as our current reality, with one key difference. Scientists have found a way to stop autisim in newborns. However, people like Lou, who are autistic and well into life there's no such miracle cure...until now. When a new boss called Crenshaw is employed to the company Lou and a team of his autistic friends work for, Crenshaw is convinced that the best way to save the bottom line is by shutting the autistic section down. Of course this is far from the truth, however, as he is however briefly in free reign of the direction of the company, he basically decides to have all the autistic persons undergo assessment and testing for a new type of therapy that could cure them of autism.

So this is the premise of the book, but it is so much more. The key to the success of this book is the beautiful way Elizabeth Moon portrays the protagonist Lou. In some ways Lou behaves very child-like at least in the way he speaks and analyses the world and I found this instantly endearing. My chest is tightening just thinking about the way he fumbles over his romantic feelings for one of the other characters in the book known as Majory. To me and as you've guessed I'm a bit of a sucker for romance, that is probably one of the highlights.

Basically the book follows Lou's day to day life, as he competes in fencing competitions, talks with friends, learns what it is like to love and tries to negotiate the ever painful and intimidating Crenshaw. There's also a subplot where poor old Lou is the subject of vandalism that escalates.

Ultimately, though it's a novel as much about Lou as it is about the different ways the world understands someone different. There's Crenshaw who hates Lou because he seems just as capable as him, but due to some stroke of fate he gets all these extra privileges. There are those who treat Lou like a child and then there are his friends who understand him and the way he is. Then there's his fencing buddies. Man it's an amazing book and it really appeals to anyone, because who hasn't in their lives wanted to be normal.

Another thing I think I havent' full credited is how well Elizabeth Moon maintains Lou's very unique lens on the world. Definately check out her sight it's obvious from reading her novel that she understands austism intimately, here's the link.

Next up I'm looking at the Sequel to First they Killed My Father by Loung Ung. It's an interesting read and will provide another interlude from all these male authors.