Alive in the Killing Fields: Surviving the Khmer Rouge Genocide [blackatk]

Publication Date: September 22, 2009

Alive in the Killing Fields is the real-life memoir of Nawuth Keat, a man who survived the horrors of war-torn Cambodia. He has now broken a longtime silence in the hope that telling the truth about what happened to his people and his country will spare future generations from similar tragedy.

In this captivating memoir, a young Nawuth defies the odds and survives the invasion of his homeland by the Khmer Rouge. Under the brutal reign of the dictator Pol Pot, he loses his parents, young sister, and other members of his family. After his hometown of Salatrave was overrun, Nawuth and his remaining relatives are eventually captured and enslaved by Khmer Rouge fighters. They endure physical abuse, hunger, and inhumane living conditions. But through it all, their sense of family holds them together, giving them the strength to persevere through a time when any assertion of identity is punishable by death.

NawuthΓÇÖs story of survival and escape from the Killing Fields of Cambodia is also a message of hope; an inspiration to children whose worlds have been darkened by hardship and separation from loved ones. This story provides a timeless lesson in the value of human dignity and freedom for readers of all ages.


From School Library Journal
Grade 6 UpΓÇöAt age nine, Keat was rousted from his bed by Khmer Rouge soldiers. After savagely murdering most of his family, they shot him three times and left him for dead. Miraculously, he survived, only to spend the next few years fighting for his life and running from the Khmer Rouge along with his remaining family members. Eventually, he and his siblings made their way to a refugee camp where his older sister bought his freedom. In this memoir, written with the assistance of his college professor, Keat paints a poignant portrait of life as a child in Cambodia in the 1970s. His skills, cunning, and sheer will to survive enabled him to endure devastating occurrences and difficult living conditions. The story is not for the faint of heart, as suffering torture at the hands of soldiers, subsisting solely off of rice chaff, and being forced to sleep among human remains are only some of the atrocities he suffered. Keat's story is compelling and concise, and readers will find themselves invested in his eventual escape.ΓÇöKelly McGorray, Glenbard South High School, Glen Ellyn, IL END
About the Author
Nawuth Keat survived the horrors of war in Cambodia, escaped to Thailand, and came to the U.S. as a teen. Now an American citizen, he understands what freedom means. He lives with his wife and children in Hollister, CA.

Martha E. Kendall has written several nonfiction books for children including National GeographicΓÇÖs The Erie Canal. Kendall attended the Eastman School of Music, where she studied the cello. She sings and plays fiddle, mandolin, guitar, penny whistle, and bass. She lives in Los Gatos, CA.


File Size: 390 KB
Print Length: 136 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 142630515X


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