This is the story of Loung Ung, the daughter of a high ranking government official. She was one of seven children born into the family. The family lived in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. When Loung turned five, the Khmer Rouge took over the city, causing her family to leave. The family separated, and the children wound up in forced labor camps and trained as soldiers. Loung witnesses a lot of horrific things, which you would assume since this was a genocide. I cannot imagine witnessing these things as an adult, but how in the world could children reconcile what they were experiencing, especially at five years old. This book was really sad to read, but I am a firm believer that first hand accounts of the experiences in genocides and civil wars are important for the historical and human perspective. If you are interested in the Khmer Rouge, Pol Pot, or Asian history, this might be a good book for you to pick up.