First They Killed My Father

A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers

By: Loung Ung

Narrated by: Tavia Gilbert

Length: 9 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

One of seven children of a high-ranking government official, Loung Ung lived a privileged life in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh until the age of five. Then, in April 1975, Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge army stormed into the city, forcing Ung's family to flee and, eventually, to disperse. Loung was trained as a child soldier in a work camp for orphans, her siblings were sent to labor camps, and those who survived the horrors would not be reunited until the Khmer Rouge was destroyed. Harrowing yet hopeful, Loung's powerful story is an unforgettable account of a family shaken and shattered, yet miraculously sustained by courage and love in the face of unspeakable brutality.

©2000 Loung Ung (P)2011 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Ung's memoir should serve as a reminder that some history is best not left just to historians but to those left standing when the terror ends." ( Booklist)

Fantastic, Thrilling and Heart Wrenching.

I was fully captivated by this book. I enjoyed every second of listing to it.

Deeply Emotional

Would you consider the audio edition of First They Killed My Father to be better than the print version?

I enjoy the audio version because i listen to it while I'm driving; I prefer a good book over music.

What was one of the most memorable moments of First They Killed My Father?

This was a truly difficult question to answer...i found myself nervously waiting to see what happens next on this emotional ride. I guess what sticks out in my mind was when they came for her father.

What does Tavia Gilbert bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Tavia did an excellent job on this book. She made me feel as though she was talking to me, telling me a story rather than reading a book to me.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Emotional and humbling story of human survival.

Any additional comments?

I highly recommend this book!!!

Important and moving, but flawed

Would you listen to First They Killed My Father again? Why?

No, I would not. Why? It's emotionally draining and deeply disturbing. But the overwhelming reason is the overwrought performance by the narrator. There's a way to narrate a book without seeming like you are auditioning for a Lifetime movie. That is not meant to cast any negative light on the author or the book itself. I think this book would have benefited greatly with a more talented narrator.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I very much admired Loung Ung's father.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Tavia Gilbert?

No.

Any additional comments?

This is an important book on an important subject. My heart breaks for everyone who suffered and died under Pol Pot and his despotic, murderous regime. That said, I have some issues. First, I question how much of the exact details quoted in the book the author truly remembered with the utter exactness that is presented here. I am NOT suggesting she made anything up- certainly not the deaths of her family members. But knowing that this is meant to be a memoir- a non fiction book- told from the point of a very young girl, the specificity of certain passages cannot help but cause the listener to raise an eyebrow. AGAIN, I am not disputing the terrible suffering that the author experienced, but I frankly would have preferred to see this labeled as, perhaps, a partially-fictionalized memoir, if only to address the very, VERY exact conversations and remembrances in this book. What made me give this review 4 out of 5 is not only my concerns about this (and they are, to my mind, important concerns), but the really over-the-top performance by Tavia Gilbert. I know that is a matter of personal taste, but in my opinion, Gilbert reads every single word in ALL CAPS. It's a touchy criticism to make, as this is certainly an emotional and dramatic memoir, but there's no subtlety or difference in tone. Again, some may disagree with my criticism, and it was certainly an upsetting book, but I wouldn't care to listen to Gilbert narrate again.

Incredibly powerful, heartbreaking

From a 5-8 years old point of view where we are still in theta, it is heart wrenching. 5 stars hands down. I wish the world knew more about this. Thank you for sharing your story.

Moving story of survival

Could not stop listening to this chilling true story of strength and survival. Great novel!

Absolutely astonishing!

Wasn't sure what to think of the book but once I got into it I was absolutely astonished. This account will leave you shaken and realizing how wicked the communist party was and is. Absolutely worth the read and money. I feel so shaken by this story!

Great

Loved the story & great narration. At times I felt angry, sad & disgusted by the evils of communism.

A heart wrenching story.

I have listened to a lot of interesting stories, but none as heart wrenching as this one. I make wounder why people do what they do for power and control and what happens to the people caught in the middle of it all. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who would like to get an idea of what power can do to hurt people and how to avoid it from happening again.

Devastating story

I knew very little about the Cambodian genocide. I basically knew there was one but nothing more. I was hoping the whole time that something good would come but it was one tragedy after another which from the title of the book should have been expected. Very well written and performed.

Heartbreaking does not begin to describe this story.

To realize that this little girl was experiencing hell on earth while I was growing up here in America, clueless as to the suffering in Cambodia makes my soul weep. The fact that this little girl survived and grew to be a successful adult is nothing short of a miracle. Words cannot really describe the effect that this book has had on me.