Synopses & Reviews
After enduring years of hunger, deprivation, and devastating loss at the hands of the Khmer Rouge, ten-year-old Loung Ung became the "lucky child," the sibling chosen to accompany her eldest brother to America while her one surviving sister and two brothers remained behind. In this poignant and elegiac memoir, Loung recalls her assimilation into an unfamiliar new culture while struggling to overcome dogged memories of violence and the deep scars of war. In alternating chapters, she gives voice to Chou, the beloved older sister whose life in war-torn Cambodia so easily could have been hers. Highlighting the harsh realities of chance and circumstance in times of war as well as in times of peace, Lucky Child is ultimately a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and to the salvaging strength of family bonds.
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“I encourage everyone to read this deeply moving and very important book.” Angelina Jolie, Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commission for Refugees
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“A unique glimpse into Americas “melting pot”--a melting pot born of indescribable suffering but brimming with irrepressible life.” Samantha Power, author of "A Problem from Hell": America and the Age of Genocide
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“A tender, searing journey of two sisters, two worlds, two destinies.” Eve Ensler, author of The Vagina Monologues
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“[A] fiercely honest and affecting memoir.” Seattle Times
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“[Ung] captured my heart...Lucky Child is captivating, deep and delightful.” Chicago Tribune
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“Heart-rending and eloquent . . . a moving reminder of human resiliency and the power of family bonds.” Newsweek
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“Ungs story is a compelling and inspirational one that touches universal chords. Americans would do well to read it.” Washington Post Book World
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“Highly readable.” Minneapolis Star Tribune
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“Remarkable...Lucky Child is part adventure, part history and, in large part, a love story about family.” Cleveland Plain Dealer
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“Written with an engaging vigor and directness, Lucky Child is an unforgettable portrait of resilience and largeness of spirit.” Los Angeles Times
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“Deeply stirring...heart-breaking and not less than brilliant.” Miami Herald
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“At once elegiac and clear-eyed, this moving volume is a tribute to the path not taken.” Vogue
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“Vivid prose…Ung imparts freshness to a fairly familiar immigrants tale…a moving story of transition, transformation, and reunion.” Kirkus Reviews
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“A rich narrative that explores the ravages of war and the strength of family bonds...powerful and moving.” Amnesty International
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“Ung is a masterful storyteller whose fresh clear prose shimmers with light and sorrow.” Mary Pipher, Ph.D., author of Reviving Ophelia
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“As piercing and poignant as its title.” Richard North Patterson
Synopsis
In her bestselling memoir First They Killed my Father, Loung Ung describes the horrific experiences she and her family endured under the rule of Cambodia's Pol Pot regime. In this heartbreaking yet triumphant sequel, Ung writes about the challenges of building a new life in a new country after her home and past have been destroyed.
In Lucky Child, Ung chronicles her attempts to adapt to life in Vermont, while grappling with her memories of genocide and the deep scars of war. At the same time, her sister struggles to survive in rural Cambodia. Lucky Child is every bit as inspiring and unforgettable as First They Killed My Father.
Loung Ung is National Spokesperson for the Campaign for a Landmine Free World, a program of the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation. VVAF founded the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, the recipient of the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize. Ung lectures extensively throughout the United States and appears regularly in the media.
"Ung's story is a compelling and inspirational one that touches universal chords. Americans would do well to read it, no matter where they were born." -- Washington Post Book World
--Minneapolis Star Tribune
Synopsis
After enduring years of hunger, deprivation, and devastating loss at the hands of the Khmer Rouge, ten-year-old Loung Ung became the "lucky child," the sibling chosen to accompany her eldest brother to America while her one surviving sister and two brothers remained behind. In this poignant and elegiac memoir, Loung recalls her assimilation into an unfamiliar new culture while struggling to overcome dogged memories of violence and the deep scars of war.In alternating chapters, she gives voice to Chou, the beloved older sister whose life in war-torn Cambodia so easily could have been hers. Highlighting the harsh realities of chance and circumstance in times of war as well as in times of peace, Lucky Child is ultimately a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and to the salvaging strength of family bonds.
About the Author
Loung Ung is a national spokesperson for the Campaign for a Landmine Free World, a program of the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation. She is the author of Lucky Child: A Daughter of Cambodia Reunites with the Sister She Left Behind, and she lives with her husband in Ohio.