Taing's story of life under the Khmer Rouge is haunting and, at times, horrifying. The book often works better as narrative non-fiction than memoir as Taing often doesn't share his emotions and inner reactions to the events that took place, perhaps because of the trauma. In either regard (as memoir or non-fiction), I didn't think there was enough background information about Cambodia before the Khmer Rouge gained control of the country. Other than a brief mention of a king that reigned prior to these events, and some other changes in government, there isn't much to illustrate why and how the Khmer Rouge took power. There is also no mention of the surrounding countries and their motivations for getting involved, or not involved, as the conflict progressed. I had a few other questions that were answered by the epilogue, but I wished they had been addressed earlier. These issues aside, the book is exceptionally well-written and it is remarkable that Taing was able to convey such detailed descriptions of events even after several decades. Many of these events will stay with me for a long time; the memoir shows humanity at its best and worst. Not an easy read, but an important one.