I appreciate that James Taing recognized the importance of capturing his father's memories so that the rest of us might have insight into what it was like to grow up in Cambodia under Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge and what it took to escape from that brutal regime. The writing in the first impression was solid in its descriptions and helpful in providing context to the reader, but the writing style wasn't as engaging for me as others who bring a storytelling arc to a memoir. This first chapter of the book read like snippets of partially-related stories relayed in chronological order in a straightforward, factual manner - important information, for sure, but not a page-turner for me (though it's quite possible that the pace and energy will pick up in later chapters).