Jennifer H Lau

Beautiful Hero is the story of Jennifer (Geng) and her extended family's troubles in Cambodia from 1975 to 1981 when the Khmer Rouge ravaged the country. Her immediate family had to abandon their home and businesses (her father was a photographer and her mother was a hairdresser.) Geng's mother is the beautiful hero, who manages to keep her family alive with her energy and ingenuity, while so many others perished from abuse, disease, starvation and other atrocities.

These events took place when Jennifer/Geng was 5-11 years old, and it is very difficult to believe that she could remember these horrific events so clearly, especially when most of her extended family did not survive.… (mehr)

I thought the cover was absolutely beautiful! And so fitting for a truly inspiring story of one family's resiliance and determination to survive and find a way for their family to be free. It is also a heart-wrenching tale of how a country can be utterly decimated when a cruel regime dupes the citizens and comes to power, stealing everything from everyone because it can, because it was the ones with the guns. I cannot imagine surviving after witnessing daily horror and having nothing to look forward to but the certainty that tomorrow one can count on being traumatized again. How painful it must have been to watch family and friends slowly waste away, and die from very preventable causes, and all because a few who had power were greedy and wished to extract as much work as possible from each person while feeding them as little as possible. I was incredibly moved by this story, and hope that noone ever has to experience such atrocities again.
I received this book in a Goodreads giveaway, and very glad, because I consider it memorable, thank you!… (mehr)

Evil did not triumph over this family, and the daughter credits her mother for the fact that this nuclear family was not included in the 3 million people who died during the reign of terror in Cambodia/Kampuchea. It's a hard book to read because it's true. If you read Love Songs From A Shallow Grave and thought it was only fiction, this saga of the determination and perseverance of Meiyeng to bring her family through this should disabuse you of such idiocy, and every victim of violence will tell you that the anguish resurfaces long afterwards. A truly compelling book.
I won an ebook copy in a Goodreads Giveaway.… (mehr)

Meiyeng led her family of eight through genocide, starvation, disease and unthinkable atrocities in Cambodia. Despite the fact that one/third of the country’s population died during this time, Meiyeng kept her family together and alive. Told from her daughter’s point of view, this was a heart wrenching story of survival and determination. This was a fascinating book, it was hard to put down. I haven’t read much about the Cambodia genocide and this book was an eye opener. Overall, highly recommended.… (mehr)