Kept: An American Househusband in Cambodia

by Gregory E. Buford

Still Kept After All These Years, America’s favorite househusband heads to Cambodia to take on gun-toting thugs, teen angst, Swiss precision, and men behaving badly in this third installment of the award-winning, best-selling Kept series.
Hilarious and heartwarming, An American Househusband in Cambodia is the true tale of a company man turned trailing spouse when his wife gets his dream job and drags him and their three children halfway around the globe.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Humor

315 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 1, 2026

About the author

Gregory E. Buford lives in Auckland, New Zealand, with his wife, Dana. His works include a novel, Making Ghosts Dance, and humorous memoirs Kept: An American Househusband in India, Kept: An American Househusband in Paris, and Kept: An American Househusband in Cambodia. Greg loves to attend book clubs, whether in person or virtually, so reach out at gregorybuford.com.

Reviews

[Meg Stafford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yay for the newest installment of the Kept Series!

SO glad to tag along to Cambodia where we see life there through the wise and mirthful eyes of Greg Buford. What a service to all of us that he is so engagingly able to capture the quirks, major challenges, and the beauty of this country from his vantage point as a full time parent at home, while at the same time keeping a pulse on the political climate and goings on. A delightful and thought provoking read, leaving us ready to gobble up whatever the next post has to offer. Bravo and keep it up!

[MARY ANN LARY · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kept is a keeper!

Love this series, entertaing, educational and a fun read.
You get to visit the world of a diplomat and see what life is like in Cambodia....win/win!

[Emi Yoshida · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

I love books about the State Department, the Diplomatic Political Genre if that's a thing. Gregory Buford's storytelling is entertaining, colorful, and easy to follow and I will gladly read more of his Kept stories, describing his years of experience as the trailing spouse/househusband to his wife assigned to the State Department abroad. If American TV could be smart and funny like this, instead of provocative and dumbed down I would so enjoy watching this as a series! As I read about Gregory and Dana discussing whether their new ambassador in Cambodia seems good bad or crazy, I laughed out loud considering what staffers working for the real life Greece Ambassador appointee now must be having to deal with, as she's caught begging an administration donor to pay off her $100k Amex bill in exchange for quid pro quo ride-or-die access to Trump World. This is yet another thing that I loved about reading this book, was that it's a throwback to when America was stalwart, respected, and entrenched in distinction.

I also love that Buford highlights Bernie Krisher's Cambodia Daily news in the Epilogue; I went to school with his son Joe my junior year in Japan, and I remember being thrilled to find a brilliant op-ed piece by Mr Krisher in the New York Times in the late 90s.

[Cari Starosta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I selected this book for my book club, and I hope they enjoyed it as much as I did. The author's humor is spot on, several times making me actually laugh out loud. I enjoyed traveling with him and his family to places I'll never actually go. I thoroughly enjoyed his moral compass and how his common sense drives his decision making. I'm looking forward to reading his other 2 "Kept" memoirs.

[Sally]

Not read yet. Saving for vacation

[Sami L · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book!

It’s funny, informative, and light despite some hard topics.

[Dottie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I’ve read all the Kept books, and they’ve all been so entertaining. I have a BS in geography, so learning more about Cambodia and surrounding countries was wonderful! I love the author’s writing style, and I hope we get to read more books by him. Is a book on Switzerland, or anywhere else, in the works?🤞🏼

[Kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

another country another great book!

Buford is such a Texas name. It is nice to read about a man who loves his family and is decent, even in Cambodia. Of course, he wouldn’t tell US if he wasn’t but I believe him.
I hope Sam swims better now! Maybe Luc was his impetus for joining the Navy.
I missed Dana in this book. I want to be her friend and I felt she was more absent in this book than the others, but I’m not sure. I figured out from contextual clues that Greg and I are the same age. I suppose I could have looked it up but it was fun to discover it.

[Carla Enfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved this book

Retired systems architect here, also a mother and grandmother. I felt like I was right there with him and his family as they discovered Cambodia. The skill with which he addressed tough issues without leering is impressive. I hope he writes another book. I’ll be waiting.

[Cynthia Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like catching up with an old friend

I loved his first book and was delighted with his second book. It is a treat that this third one finally came out. He is such a great story teller with a great sense of humor. It is satisfying to see the role reversal presented in such a great way.

[Augusta Dorning · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just like India and Paris in the series, Mr Buford's latest account does not disappointment. Just as delightful and informative, I could not put it down and did not want it to end! The book takes the reader behind the scenes of Phnom Penh, warts and all, but with humility and great respect for local nuances and customs. May this not be the last in "An American Househusband..." and may Switzerland and Dana's other postings follow soon!

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kept: An American Househusband in Cambodia by Gregory Buford.

This is the third book by Buford that I've read, as I recently discovered the first two books in his Kept memoirs on Kindle Unlimited. When I saw his third novel about Cambodia available as a goodreads giveaway, I immediately clicked that enter button and was fortunate enough to win a copy.

I love to travel, but have rarely had the chance to explore outside of the US. Buford's books give a realistic yet charming glimpse into these other cultures and countries. He has a unique perspective and writing style, that makes it feel like you're just hanging out with a friend and having a nice chat. I also appreciated the brief look into Cambodia's neighboring countries, like Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, etc.

If you haven't read the first two books in this series (India, then Paris), I recommend starting with those. It's not necessary, as the author is good about catching the reader up with past events. However, I found this memoir about Cambodia just a bit on the darker side than the other novels due to the prevalence of the sex industry in this particular country. The author handles these difficult topics with humor and compassion.

4/5 stars. Buford has met some met some amazing, intriguing, and quirky people. I thoroughly enjoyed the experiences he's shared and I sincerely hope to read about his family's adventures in Geneva in the near future.

[Inga Aksamit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Greg Buford keeps raising the bar. As someone who has followed the Kept series from the beginning, I can say with confidence that this third installment is his best yet. It's sharper, funnier, and even more honest about the particular absurdity of life as a trailing spouse navigating an unfamiliar world with children in tow.
Cambodia is a perfect setting for Buford's brand of humor. He has always had an eye for the gap between expectation and reality, and Southeast Asia delivers that gap in abundance. Having spent time in the region myself, I found myself nodding along at the chaos, the charm, and the moments of pure what-just-happened that the area reliably produces. He captures it all with affection rather than condescension, which is not as easy as he makes it look.
What elevates this book beyond simple travel memoir is Buford's unflinching willingness to address the darker realities of Cambodia, particularly the child sex trafficking that operates in plain sight. He doesn't let the humor crowd out the outrage, and he strikes a good balance.
If you haven't discovered the Kept series yet, start at the beginning and race to catch up, though each book can stand alone. Then pick up his novel Making Ghosts Dance, also set in Cambodia and equally worth your time.

[Armelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book for free as a Goodreads giveaway.

I enjoyed this memoir of the authors’s life as the husband of a US Foreign Service officer during his wife’s posting to Cambodia. He realized early in her career that his own job opportunities were be limited, so he willingly threw himself into being a stay-at-home dad to their three kids while trying to launch a writing career. I had already read one of his earlier books, about their life in India.

I certainly didn’t know very much about Cambodia. It sounds like a difficult, daunting place to live. The account of their family life - both the Cambodia aspect and the embassy aspect - fascinated me.

Every once in a while the humor turned a tad too snarky for me. Not often, perhaps, but occasionally.

[Just JBK]

An interesting, light, and enjoyable read about a family’s adventures in the Foreign Service in Cambodia in the early 2000s. There’s pleasant humor and the author touches honestly on some tough topics about the realities of life in Cambodia at that time.

[Myles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!

This was a very interesting memior! For those that dont and do enjoy memiors! Worth the time to pick it up and read it!

[Lys · Rating 1 out of 5]

AI COVER

[AMAO · Rating 5 out of 5]

💯💯💯💯💯

[Lynn Zoia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't read any of Buford's other books yet...but I will! Enjoyed his voice in this one, and he really made Cambodia and the rest come alive.

[E.d. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to the newest book in the Kept memoir series, and it was everything I hoped for. Buford shares updates about his wife Dana and kids—Cole, Nina, and Sam—and tells about their lives living as Americans in Cambodia. I love his positive, adventurous spirit—it’s really inspiring. He seems like a caring dad who enjoys spending time with his children (most of the time) and is good at going with the flow. It's fun to read about how he’s open to trying new things and experiencing different cultures.
His writing reads smoothly, unlike most self-published authors. I also suggest checking out his novel, Making Ghosts Dance, which he talks about working on in this memoir.