When Elephants Fight: A Memoir

by Vannary Imam

This is the moving story of three generations of a Cambodian family and an extraordinary woman who forged a new life for herself out of the carnage of the killing fields. Interweaving family history, national politics, and personal memoir, this book traces the experiences of the daughter of a senior Cambodian government bureaucrat. Part of her family was lost and others tossed to the corners of the globe as refugees as the bloody civil war devastated her country.

Genres: Nonfiction

368 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2001

Reviews

[Natasha (jouljet) · Rating 3 out of 5]

"When elephants fight
ants get killed." - Cambodian proverb.

A memoir, following the story of a Vietnamese-Cambodian family from humble beginnings, to working towards a better life, before being displaced to all corners of the world following the Khmer Rouge killing fields.

A thorough history, much exploration of the Vietnam-Cambodian conflicts, the politics that built to the South East Asia turmoil, genocide and enduring poverty, starvation and hardship for the Khmers. This was a most accessible explanation of all the factors that led to the state of Cambodia even into the early 2000s.

Vannary finds home in Australia, amid survivor guilt, longing for home, family and her mother. So much pain and loss for one family, and yet the tale of so many Khmers of this time.

[Asha Stark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terribly sad, and then it got worse.

I learned a lot about Cambodian history, and how it relates to Vietnam and the USA though.