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)

Beautiful imagery

If you could sum up In the Shadow of the Banyan in three words, what would they be?

Poignant, sad, hopeful.

What did you like best about this story?

I loved the beautiful imagery of Cambodia and the descriptions of Cambodian traditions. Also, the author's description of the resilience of Rami's family.

Which scene was your favorite?

When Rami and her father discover the prayer temple at the Buddhist monastery; they are led there by a servant who knows Rami's father and invites him to write in the sacred space.

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

Cambodia during the Pol Pot regime -- how one family's stories and tradition kept hope alive.

Any additional comments?

The best part of this book is probably the author's afterword -- she is the voice of Rami, the main character; it will bring tears to your eyes.

Exceptionally good book

The poetically and beautifully written book told a brutal story experienced by the Cambodian Royal family through the eyes of the little princess. Since it's written based on real life experience, the cruelty of the reality is like the worst nightmare one could ever have. It's also inspiring that for the princess and her loving and strong mother, going through all the unimaginable hardship, they still could find their hope somewhere.

One of the best books I have read. Couldn't stop listening. Highly recommend it.

Don't Give Up; It All Comes Together

I had to restart this story twice before I decided to just go with it. I found it to be well worth it. The story follows a young girl as she faces so much turmoil with wavering strength, but as the story continues I felt closer and wondered how she would get through it all. In the end the story was not as much about the stories her father told her but the unfolding of a family story.

Amazing book about Cambodia & Khmer Rouge

This story is told by small child whose family lived through the 4 years of the Khmer Rouge
tyranny. The language sometimes does not reflect a 7-9 year old ‘s vocabulary, but is written with great imagery, clarity and emotion. The story is filled with love and tenderness
as well as brutality, starvation and death.

It is an important story to hear.

Beautifully written

This book broke my heart while giving me hope. The writer painted a beautiful picture of family, love & tragedy.

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 .