Golden Bones: An Extraordinary Journey from Hell in Cambodia to a New Life in America – From the Khmer Rouge to the White House

by Sichan Siv

While the United States battled Vietnamese Communists in the 1960s and 1970s, in neighboring Cambodia dictator Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge declared war on their own people, enslaving and slaughtering anybody who disagreed with them. Sichan Siv knew he would soon be a target—ending up, perhaps, as one of the millions of anonymous human skeletons buried in his nation's Killing Fields—so he heeded his mother's pleas and ran. Captured and forced to perform slave labor, Siv feared that he'd be worked to death or killed. It was only a matter of time. But he never abandoned hope or his improbable dream of freedom—a dream that liberated him, astonishingly, from his brutal captors and ultimately led him to the United States, where he later became a senior White House aide. Golden Bones is an extraordinary story of almost unimaginable hardship and remarkable courage by a survivor whose triumph over terror and adversity serves as a shining inspiration to us all.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, Memoir, Biography Memoir, Asia, Audiobook

352 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2008

Reviews

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book seemed a little bit slow at the beginning but as soon as Sichuan Siv started his escape from Cambodia, I was hooked for the rest of the book. It is so amazing that he survived the escape. It may sound odd but I think I learned some survival tips from him.
I really love the fact that what principally keep him going was remembering that his mother told him always to have hope. Without hope, he could never make it through all the physical obstacles or worse yet the many encounters with the Khmer Rouge. I knew about them before from a book that I read some time ago, 'The Killing Fields'. This book is more a tale of survival and why you need to survive instead of relating what the Khmer Rouge did. He also made me appreciate Khmer folktales, poetry and gave some information on Khmer cooking. I thought that it symbolic that everyone in Cambodia always wore black clothes and the way he knew he had finally made it to Thailand was wearing colorful clothes clothes.
I don't it is giving away the book too much to state this observation. When I first started reading this book, I noticed that Sichan Siv was an extremely resourceful person. I started a list of the occupations that he had as the book went along, it was an amazing number of different kinds of work. I would have never applied for a job that I knew I didn't have the background for or at least know what the job title was but he did! I will let you compile your own list, you will be amazed.
I recommend this for everyone interested in the history of holocausts, Cambodian history and survivor stories.

[Siobhan Walsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a pleasure to meet the author on a zoom book club meeting and hear about his post Cambodia life and impressive career as a US ambassador and close friend of President Bush. He really has had an extraordinary journey.

[Sovatha · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought this book seeking to understand how an ordinary man from Cambodia became a US citizen and went on to become a diplomat representing his adopted country in an international institution. To me, such quest to triumph is something I greatly admire and something I would look up to. However, this memoir didn't tell me the very important thing I want to know: how it happened. What were the connecting dots that allow a war refugee to become a US ambassador to the UN? I couldn't find this answer in the book.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 would be fair.
What a life. So much happened.
"No matter what happens, never give up hope".

[Matt Skains · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an incredible story and life. The struggles and adversity Sichan Siv overcame in life are nothing short of remarkable and give an incredible contrast to the innumerable blessings I've been given in life. It is the height of vanity to hear his story and be overly critical of my own predicaments. His journey from near death in a labor camp in Cambodia to working in the White House in only 13 years seems unfathomable today, but this story didn't take place that long ago. Siv's life is a reminder that there can be many setbacks in life, but the important detail is how one responds to them.

[Tyrone · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful, almost unbelievable yet so real, memoir. Sichan Siv is a remarkable man with an amazing story. A story of hope, love, commitment and resilience. Similar to Man's search for meaning, it is a book that shows us that a life of meaning comes from our ability to transcend circumstance and to never give up hope. It is an inspirational and powerful life story that we are all capable of living.

[Ian Hefele · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was a bit tired of his constant REPUBLICAN comments. He experienced an America I have no idea about. Just getting back from Cambodia, I'm happy to see a perspective of the country though that I also have no idea about.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Parts of this were really good, interesting escape from Cambodia during Khmar Rouge

[N Singh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first half of the book. Having visited Cambodia and seeing the devastation caused by the Pol Pot regime ( till today you can feel the pall of gloom around you), it was exciting to follow Sichan Siv's journey through the Cambodian villages, dense forests , booby traps and his subsequent escape.
The latter half of the book seemed to me a eulogy of America, in particular G.W.Bush. Siv seems to want to please every single American that comes his way and it becomes a bit annoying. He seems to have lost that heroic quality he carries with him in the first half of the book.
...too bad!

[Becka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Siv writes about his upbringing, followed by his terrible experience under the Khmer Rouge regime, which included enduring a labor camp and making a dangerous escape by foot through the jungle to Thailand. Upon arriving in America, Sichan Siv did a number of menial jobs before ultimately serving as a deputy assistant to the first President Bush and later served as the US Ambassador to the UN. The first 2/3 of the memoir deals with the chronology, while the latter part is more anecdotal regarding Siv's work in diplomacy and why he identifies as a Republican, something I found intriguing because I've never known an Asian-American who identified as a Republican. Eesh. While I may not always agree with his views, his life story is a fascinating one and gave me a clearer idea of what middle-class life was like in Cambodia in the 1950s/60s and then an insider's view of the terror that was the Khmer Rouge regime.

[Brian Swain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sichan is an awesome and interesting individual, and a most highly regarded member of our Columbia University alumni club here in San Antonio. His story is a compelling one and inspirational on numerous levels. The prose, while somewhat awkward in a way one might reasonably expect from a polyglot non-native English speaker who eschews ghost writers, the basic and frequently unpolished diction ends up creating a tone of verisimilitude that works well in the telling of this sort of story. There are numerous other tales out there that detail escape and personal triumph over horrific circumstances (thinking, in particular, of "Kaffir Boy" and "Strength in What Remains"), and this is one of the better ones. It rings true from start to finish.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am glad I read this book because I really knew nothing about Cambodia in the mid-70's and on--or ever for that matter. I noted that the Khmer Rouge took over Cambodia on April 17, 1975, just two days before my father died. Even though this book is not written in the most engrossing style, it is interesting to read what Sichan Siv went through there and here. I was especially interested that his first job in the US was as a manager of a Friendly's restaurant in CT! Oh how I miss Friendly's. I loved going there as a kid. I also enjoyed that his wife is from Texas and he seems as proud of Texas as a native Texan!
Not a page turner. If you aren't a nonfiction fan, steer clear!

[Nancy Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually read the paperback version, though this says ebook. The subtitle is An Extraordinary Journey from Hell in Cambodia to a New Life in America. Read it because my daughter is doing an internship with the author this summer. He sounds like an amazing man and he has an amazing story. Unfortunately his writing skills are not up to the challenge. Not surprising, as he is writing in his third language. But organization and other things also suffer.

[Michelle Tejada · Rating 5 out of 5]

I struggled between giving this book a four and a five. The story was a five but the author rambled at times, making it a four. However, I settled on a five because the story was so amazing. This true story proves that anyone can be successful and thrive despite poor circumstances with hard work, determination, and a positive attitude. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in history, politics, self-help, or biographies.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not only was this book well written and captivating but this author's story is nothing short of amazing. I picked it up on a whim and couldn't put it down. He waited his entire life to write it becuase he wanted to make sure it was perfect. He lived through the killing fields and went on to hold one of the most prestigious jobs in the US. It's an amazing story.

[Rosey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well... I enjoyed learning a bit of Cambodian history, as well as learning more of the details of how this horrible genocide came to be, but I wasn't a huge fan of the book. His experience coming to America was certainly interesting, but overall, I got kind of disinterested in what he had to say and wanted more emotion and detail about his journey BACK to Cambodia after living in America.

[Marty Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sichan Siv was an educated man in Cambodia when the Khmer Rouge came to power and "cleansed" the country of the educated class. Pretending to be a cab driver, Sichan escapes the mass executions and eventually manages to leave his beloved country. This is a heart-wrenching story, full of drama, pathos and hope.

[Kab · Rating 5 out of 5]

In planning a trip to Cambodia, I wanted to discover what times were like around the fall of Saigon. I was not disappointed In this extraordinary memoir. After Sichan arrived in America, I wanted to know more about Wallingford and the restored home he stayed. Good book, kept my interest all the way through, and that's rare!

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slightly awkward writing style and a bit slow for the first 50 pages or so, but this memoir quickly became a fascinating read which I couldn't put down. Pretty extraordinary story, and highly recommended for anyone looking to learn a bit about the Khmer Rouge and the atrocities inflicted upon the Cambodian people, and how one man managed to survive and succeed.

[Maureen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first part of his story was extraordinary, as advertised. After he came to the US though, it was much less interesting- a long list of all the people he met and jobs he held. Rising from orchard picker to taxi driver to UN representative is still quite a feat.

[T.J. Haynes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not your typical survivors story. Sichan Siv transformed his chilling encounter with the underside of human nature to become a force for good. This truly extraordinary book is filled with hope, courage and the spirit of freedom.

[Sophorn]

Never give up on life. Sichan Siv had been thru Hell and still make it to the best life and achievement.

[ML · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four stars for fascinating. Siv's success in his chosen new country - the USA - is every bit as spellbinding as his escape from Cambodia

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very awkward writing but the story is fascinating. I guess you can say it's refreshing he didn't use a ghost writer? It's skimmable so you can get through the awkward parts and enjoy the story.

[Kathy Chung · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewed at Mama Kucing Books & Ravings: Golden Bones by Sichan Siv

a darn lucky and brave man

[Santhi · Rating 3 out of 5]

sketchy but easy to read recount of surviving the killing fields. the political narration outlines a glimpse into his remarkable rise as a diplomat, possible 'only in America'

[June · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shocking, ultimately inspirational story made better because it's true! I met the author!