Ms. Him was nine-years old when the Khmer Rouge came to power in April 1975. In a mesmerizing story, Him vividly recounts a Cambodia where rudimentary labor camps are the norm and technology, such as cars and electricity, no longer exists.
Death becomes a companion at the camps, along with illness.
Yet through the terror, Chanrithy's family remains loyal to one another despite the Khmer Rouge's demand of loyalty only to itself. Moments of inexpressible sacrifice and love lead them to bring what little food they have to the others, even at the risk of their own lives. From a family of twelve, only five of the Him children survive. Sponsored by an uncle in Oregon, they begin their new lives in a land that promises welcome to those starved for freedom. Chanrithy Him lives in Eugene, Oregon, where she is a researcher with the Khmer Adolescent Project at the Oregon Health Sciences University, studying post-traumatic stress disorder among Cambodian survivors.