Review Detail

Reader reviewed by book.of.the.moment

"Reflections of a Khmer Soul" is not what it appears to be at first glance. The author, Navy Phim, is a Cambodian who was born in the midst of war, and to this day can feel her heritage cursing through her veins.

When I read the title, I assumed this was going to be a book about being raised in a war torn country. While books like that do indeed move me, and I completely value their importance as literature, I was still quite pleasantly suprised when I realized that this isn't what this book is all about. The book is a collection of snippets; memories, cultural lessons and explanations, thoughts and ideas. The author doesn't remember a whole lot about her life in Cambodian refugee camps in Thailand. At a fairly young age, she was moved to the US, and the majority of her life has been spent here. Yet she has always remained true to her history and her motherland, chosing not to change her Khmer name and to return to Cambodia at every given opportunity.

Some parts of the book were more interesting (to me) than others, but all in all, I would say I enjoyed reading it. I learned a lot, both about the Killing Fields, and about Cambodia itself, and I smiled at several of the author's trips down memory lane. The snippets are written with passion and heart, and that's what makes them so wonderful. Never once do you doubt your narrator's sincerity, and because you can immediately trust her, your interest holds through to the last page.