Children of Cambodia's Killing Fields: Memoirs by Survivors

Dith Pran, the photojournalist whose horrifying story gave Pol Pot's genocidal regime a human face in The Killing Fields, continues with his wife DePaul in their mission to remind the world what happened in Cambodia. When the Khmer Rouge took control in 1975, the 29 contributors to this collection ranged in age from toddlers to teenagers. Separated from their relations by the Khmer Rouge, who hoped to use them as the basis of a new society, children had to work in the rice fields. These recollections provide a child's-eye view of their families' suffering. Living conditions were hellish: the children were fed one daily bowl of water with a few grains of rice; innocent people were tortured and killed; and often children were forced to watch as relatives were executed. What is apparent throughout is that while the Khmer Rouge was able physically to separate families, the children's memories of love and respect remained. The authors, most of whom now live in the United States, are shown in photographs with accompanying biographical data recounting how they rebuilt their shattered lives. While the testimonies of suffering and loss may become repetitive, this collection is still an important reminder of the darkest chapter in post-WWII history. (May)