Summary of Loung Ung's First They Killed My Father

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 I love riding around in a cyclo, a sort of big wheelchair attached to a bicycle, in Phnom Penh. It is the fastest way to get around the city. I am used to the noise and traffic, but my family likes to take me to a noodle shop before Pa goes to work. #2 I am often ignored by my parents’ friends because I am a child. They feel free to comment on my mother’s perfectly arched eyebrows, almond-shaped eyes, tall, straight Western nose, and oval face. #3 Pa is loved for his generous heart. He is part Cambodian and part Chinese, and has black curly hair, a wide nose, full lips, and a round face. He is everything a good father could be. #4 In Cambodia, people do not outright compliment a child. They don’t want to call attention to the child. It is believed that evil spirits easily get jealous when they hear a child being complimented, and they may come and take away the child to the other world.