This was a quick read last week. It tells the true story of a 15-year-old girl named Teeda and her family during the Khmer Rouge control of Cambodia from 1975-1979. Khmer Rouge were communists, led by Pol Pot (name sound familiar?). They wanted to turn Cambodia into an agrarian "utopia," so they had to get rid of anyone educated, anyone living in cities, anyone influenced by Western culture. The motto that the Khmer Rouge used during this time was "To keep you is no benefit, to destroy you is no loss." They killed 1.5 million of their own people and hid the bodies in wells, fields, buildings. Now I know that this is where the term "The Killing Fields" comes from.
Teeda's story is so incredible and fascinating. Learning about this period was more than interesting; I kept thinking "How do I not know about this?! This happened during my life time!"
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