A Clash of Innocents

by Sue Guiney

In modern-day Cambodia, and older American woman runs an orphanage. When a young backpacker appears wanting to stay and help, suspicions are aroused and the orderly workings of the home are disrupted. Against the beginning of the UN Trial for Justice, the past and present collide to force us to ask who takes responsibility for murder?

256 pages, Paperback

First published September 25, 2010

About the author

Although born and raised in New York, Sue has lived in London for over 20 years where she writes and teaches fiction, poetry and plays. She has a passionate connection to Cambodia, where she goes every year to teach the Creative Writing Workshop she founded there for street kids. This passion is reflected in her series of novels set in modern day Cambodia:
[book : A Clash of Innocents]
[book ; Out of the Ruins ]

Reviews

[Ola · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the first page A Clash of Innocence is a great read. Set in Cambodia, Sue Guiney introduces the country itself as a character in the book. She writes with great detail about the sights sounds and smells of Cambodia and rises to the subtle challenge of describing a resilient nation coming to terms with its tragic past.
Deborah - the main protagonist is strong, flawed, and determined woman who runs an orphanage. She manages under great difficulty to keep things going with the help of her adopted daughter Sam, a couple of volunteers and some of the older children in the orphanage. One day a stranger, Amanda, shows up at the orphanage, what unfolds is a shift in the atmosphere and dynamic of Deborah's world. Things become even more intense when a baby is abandoned on the door step not too long after Amanda's arrival.
Sue Guiney draws the reader into the story with her vivid description of Cambodian culture and tradition as well as giving an sight into Deborah's dilemmas and challenges in a story full of unexpected twists and turns. Technically her measured prose are a masterclass in the subtle use of language, This is a great read and I would highly recommend it.

[Lynda Renham · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a marvellous book.
Having returned from Cambodia for the second time this book helped keep my mind there.
I loved it. A beautiful story of Cambodia.
Kept me gripped and the colours and smells of Cambodia were so vivid as I read.
The story of Deborah and the young woman who enters her life and the lives of her children at the Orphanage she runs is unforgettable.
A wonderful read.
So happy to have made contact with the author after having bought this while in a bookshop in Siem Reap. I certainly brought home a piece of Cambodia with me.

[Tania · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel is set in Cambodia and the country is also a character in the story, so strongly is it felt here. We meet Deborah, an American who runs an orphanage, and we meet all "her" children, each one beautifully-portrayed. There are secrets, strangers arrive, there is tragedy and joy. This is a story that will grip you, with its very real and flawed protagonists and fascinating setting. I read the book straight through, I was utterly absorbed. A wonderful novel, highly recommended.

[Pamalama Jo · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had a lot of potential that it did not live up to. The main mystery it pushed was all about who Amanda was but I felt no draw towards her because I was able to figure her out fairly easily. I was more interested in the Tribunal and how both Deborah and Sam reacted to it. I had bought this book while in Cambodia so I was able to picture exactly what the author was describing. This book was an easy read I might recommend to someone wanting to branch out into Asian settings.

[Glyn Pope · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to say 3 stars for this because I don't think it was as good as Tangled Roots, but it was close. I think for me it was the setting. I wasn't keen and I found one of two of the characters a bit twee. But, I can still recommend it as a good read. Three and a half stars to be fair!

[Trebledb]

Cambodia as experienced by an American orphanage overseer: a mingling of American 70s revolution with upheaval in Cambodia. A well put together
story.

[Nyssa Clements · Rating 4 out of 5]

I originally bought this book because of the beautiful cover, but the story too has beauty woven within every word. A truly touching novel.