The characters in the book are so scarred with trauma that there are triggers everywhere they look. The author conveys Teena's dilemma so very effectively by allowing her memories to emerge in an organic way, as they naturally occur in life- evoked by a sound, smell or fragmented visual image. Teena's mixed emotions about leaving her stable and safe adult home to explore her past are heightened by the loss of her aunt. A surrogate parent, this loss is traumatic enough for any reader to relate to. Coupled with the trauma of being part of a diaspora and the emotional mix of loss, memory and attempting reconciliation become a heady cocktail that drives the narrative. As her memories emerge they are mixed with new impressions of a country also struggling in the same ways. I'm in awe of author Ratner's skill in blending fact and fiction, for tackling such a complex and nuanced story with grace and kindness and for unflinchingly portraying the cruelty of violent political and cultural upheaval. As a reader I found a resonance to today in these regime changes of the not-so-distant past. Asylum seeking refugees like Teena were the lucky few who were able to grow up scarred but with a chance at wholeness. I have friends who are part of this Cambodian refugee diaspora and today they not only have whole, full, productive lives in safety but also contribute to making their community better out of gratitude for their opportunities.