In the Shadow of the Banyan

A Novel

By: Vaddey Ratner

Narrated by: Greta Lee

Length: 13 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's summary

Told from the tender perspective of a young girl who comes of age amid the Cambodian killing fields, this searing first novel - based on the author’s personal story - has been hailed by Little Bee author Chris Cleave as “a masterpiece… utterly heartbreaking and impossibly beautiful.”

For seven-year-old Raami, the shattering end of childhood begins with the footsteps of her father returning home in the early dawn hours bringing details of the civil war that has overwhelmed the streets of Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital. Soon the family’s world of carefully guarded royal privilege is swept up in the chaos of revolution and forced exodus.

Over the next four years, as she endures the deaths of family members, starvation, and brutal forced labor, Raami clings to the only remaining vestige of childhood - the mythical legends and poems told to her by her father. In a climate of systematic violence where memory is sickness and justification for execution, Raami fights for her improbable survival. Displaying the author’s extraordinary gift for language, In the Shadow of the Banyan is testament to the transcendent power of narrative and a brilliantly wrought tale of human resilience.

©2012 Vaddey Ratner (P)2012 Simon & Schuster

Critic reviews

"This stunning memorial expresses not just the terrors ofthe Khmer Rouge but also the beauty of what was lost. A hauntingly powerful novel imbued with the richness of old Cambodian lore, the devastation of monumental loss, and the spirit of survival." ( Publishers Weekly)

"Vaddey Ratner's novel is ravishing in its ability to humanize and personalize the Cambodian genocide of the 1970s. She makes us look unflinchingly at the evil that humankind is capable of, but she gives us a child to hold our hand - an achingly believable child - so that we won't be overwhelmed. As we have passed from one century of horrors and been plunged into a new century giving us more of the same, In the Shadow of the Banyan is a truly important literary event." (Robert Olen Butler, author of A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain)

"Often lyrical, sometimes a bit ponderous: a painful,personal record of Cambodia's holocaust." ( Kirkus Reviews)

Amazing Book

Any additional comments?

Beautifully written book with many lessons- lessons in history, survival, government, corruption, tragedy, and the ability to find beauty in the midst of unspeakable horrors and cruelty. And all based on true story. I appreciated every minute of this book.

Such a sad story, but so beautifully written!

Would you consider the audio edition of In the Shadow of the Banyan to be better than the print version?

I haven't read the print version.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Raami of course! The story was told through her brave little-girl eyes.

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

Greta Lee brought just the right amount of variation in tone between characters, and narrated the exceptional prose with such tenderness.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The death of the children in the ditch during the storm, and the uncle's subsequent death.

Any additional comments?

I intend to read/listen to all of Vaddey Ratner's books... Hopefully, they aren't all a sad as this one.

Beautiful Poetic Writing!

While the basic storyline (set in Cambodia during the regime of the Khmer Rouge) is tragic, the lyrical imagery and the embedded stories of spirits brings beauty to the sordid details, and the tone is one of hope and celebration of life.

Surprisingly good - a powerful and poignant story

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Absolutely - it is an extremely well written account of the ordeal of a girl and her family at the hands of the communist khmer rouge regime - truly heart rending. Ms. Ratner writes with the voice of a poet. I was seriously moved by this work of art.

What was one of the most memorable moments of In the Shadow of the Banyan?

There were many - but the scene in the buddhist temple early in the book was quite striking and hauntingly beautiful.

What about Greta Lee’s performance did you like?

I loved the innocence of her voice.

good read

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, I've posted on Facebook to incourage friends to read this book. The story is unique and well done.

What other book might you compare In the Shadow of the Banyan to and why?

I'd recommend "First They Killed My Father" by Loung Ung if your interested in Khmer Rouge survivor stories.

Fell short of five stars

Where does In the Shadow of the Banyan rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

All the good things written about this book have great substance. My slight disappointment was only in the fact that there was room to show and tell much, much more depth of the atrocities and horror perpetrated by the Khmer Rouge.

Hell Through the Eyes of the Innocent

This is a disturbing tale written in beautiful prose. I am grateful for the information I gleaned by listening to this tale, a partial powerful autobiography. Knowing this truth is completely moving.

For me there seems to be an incongruity with the first person narrative from a little girl and the sophisticated language (such as her amazing and stunning similes and metaphors) she uses.

The narrator did sound like a little girl. This worked.

I found that my favorite part of the audio was the ending which was an epilogue spoken by the author. This made the most sense to me. It was the most moving part of this book. I would rather have listened to her speak about her own life from the start without having turned her story into a novel.

Enjoyed is not the word for such a harrowing tale.

But this book held my attention every minute and I thought the narrator was professional and sympathetic.
There was nothing about it I would change. I cried even in parts and I don't normally do that with a book. Worth every minutes listening and every cent paid.

Important story, honestly and beautifully told

This story is powerful and so beautifully told that I had to stop and re-read many sections over again. It is important because we should never forget the terrible atrocities committed against innocent people. Throughout the book the author is honest and insightful and through it all the message is of hope and never giving up. Remarkable. Emotional. Thanks to the author for sharing this difficult story so brilliantly.

Very moving & a sad tale

This book was very touching however it is not an easy listen since the subject matter is so sad . I listened to this book in preparation for travel to Cambodia to better understand the hardships recently endured .