Purging Innocence, by Pauch Khiev

Title: Purging Innocence

Author: Pauch Khiev

Publisher: Outskirts Press

Date: June 11, 2014

Paperback: 292 pages




 


About the author:
Pauch Khiev was born in Moung Ruessei, Battambang, Cambodia, in the midst of the Khmer Rouge regime. She emigrated to the United States with her family in 1981. She studied film production in college, dreaming of making movies. She may someday make a film about her family. She is a self-taught singer, keyboardist, artist, and poet. A true "handy woman," she also loves working on DIY home-improvement projects and gardening. To her friends and family, she's known as a great chef at her "Hit or Miss Restaurant," her home kitchen.

About the book:
Survival Against Impossible Odds ... The Khmer Rouge: a name synonymous with unspeakable torture, oppression, and genocide. On April 17, 1975, they invaded Cambodia's capital, Phnom Penh, ruthlessly combing the city and murdering thousands on their hit lists as well as anyone who would not or could not leave. Whole families perished in this atrocious campaign. San Khiev, an ex-military fisherman, bravely helped his family and friends survive until they were transported to the countryside, where his pregnant wife had to watch him be taken away for "questioning," which meant he would never return. He was brought to a prison camp called Wat Thomayuth, a temple taken over by the Khmer Rouge, where they viciously tortured and murdered at least fifty prisoners a day. Rather than "giving names" of the innocent during brutal interrogations, San endured torments that most people would not have survived. He kept faith, even when there was nothing left to hope for. Day after day, for months, he miraculously escaped death. He is the only known survivor of this prison camp. Purging Innocence is the heart-rending, inspiring chronicle of a family moving from a successful life in a prosperous and thriving country, through the horror of the Khmer Rouge regime, one of history's most tragic and shameful events, to a new but challenging life abroad. Through these family stories, as told by San's sister Pauch, you will witness horror, despair, loyalty, courage-and, above all, the astonishing resilience of the human spirit.

My take:
I hate to say this, but I can't really think of much to say about this book. I was thinking it was going to be more or less about the family's struggles, but turned out to focus more on her brother. She did start out writing about her family, but went into what her brother went through and to me that is what the book focused more on. I think if it focused 100% on her brother, it would have made for a better book. His story is amazing and how he held it together and made it out, says even more. Some people may find her writing style fine, but it didn't work for me. I felt like it was too much of her telling me the story, as though I was sitting in the room with her and she was talking to me, versus her writing about it and me reading it in that fashion. The book also has maps, plans and pictures of Cambodia and of course her brother. It is a very easy read, so one could finish it in a day or two.

This complimentary book was given to me by Bostick Communications and the author for my honest review.

Daughters of the Dragon, by William Andrews

Title: Daughters of the Dragon: A Comfort Woman's Story

Author: William Andrews

Publisher: MADhouse Press LLC

Date: January 10, 2014

Paperback: 350 pages











About the author:
Bill Andrews has a personal connection to Korea - his only child who arrived from the Land of the Morning Calm as a cheerful, smart four month old. Since then, Bill has been fascinated by Korea.

For over 30 years, Bill was a copywriter and a marketing/brand executive with several Fortune 500 companies. For fifteen of the more painful years, he ran his own advertising agency. At night and on weekends and sometimes during the workday, Bill wrote fiction. Bill's first novel titled The Essential Truth (coming out later in 2014) won first place in the Mayhaven Contest for unpublished fiction.

Today, Bill is retired and focuses on his writing. He lives in Minneapolis with his lovely wife, an inner-city public school teacher for 32 years. And proudly reports that the smart four month old is now an orthopedic surgeon.

About the book:
During World War II, the Japanese forced 200,000 Korean women to be sex slaves for their soldiers. This is one woman's riveting story of strength, courage and promises kept.

Young Ja-hee and her sister are torn form their family farm and forced to become sex slaves, or comfort women, for the Japanese army during World War II. Before they leave home, their mother gives them a magnificent antique comb with ivory inlay of a two-headed dragon, telling them the dragon will protect them. The sisters suffer terribly at the hands of the Japanese and by the end of the war, Ja-hee is forced to flee while her sister lays dying. 

Ja-hee keeps her time as a comfort woman a secret while she struggles to rebuild her life in North Korea. she meets a man who shows her what true love is. But the communists take him away in the middle of the night and she is forced to escape to the South. There, she finally finds success as the country rebuilds after the Korean War. But her terrible secret is revealed and she's thrown into poverty. In the depths of her despair, she's tempted to sell the comb that she believes has no magic for her. But one day she discovers its true meaning and her surprising heredity. And now she must find the only person who can help her carry on this legacy... someone she abandoned years ago.

My take:
I have to start out by saying, this has become one of my number one favorite books on my shelf. I didn't really know what a comfort woman was until it came across my mobile in the news section one morning. The article didn't go deep into it, so I just learned about the surface of it.Then the opportunity to review this book presented itself and I couldn't pass it up. I am glad I didn't because this is a story that everyone should read to learn in depth about what actually happened to some of the women in Korea.

When you read Daughters of the Dragon, the author's writing style will totally draw you in. I didn't even feel like I was reading to be perfectly honest. My imagination was able to take off and allow me to feel as though I was on the heart wrenching journey with Ja-hee. I could actually envision not only the main characters, but all the other ones in the story and their surroundings, vividly.  I also really enjoyed how we went from present time with Ja-hee talking to her granddaughter (Anna) and jumping back in time when she was telling her life story.

Most of the time when people do book reviews they do not mention the cover art. This one can't go without something being said. The cover is amazing. Just looking at it will make you want to read the book. It is just absolutely elegant. The black background with the face coming out and the red and white letters make it very beautiful. Also in the back of the book, there is a section where the author gives more information on the history of this topic and some pictures to go with it.

Reading Daughters of the Dragon, you will learn a little about history, a time and place that most of us do not know about. The struggles that these women had to go through and carry with them for the rest of their lives. You will learn that courage and strength can over come anything and help you survive.

Daughters of a Dragon is a must read.

I was given this complementary book by the author and Bostick Communications for my honest review.

Then Sings My Soul (Special Edition), by Robert J. Morgan

Then Sings My Soul (Special Edition), by Robert J. Morgan is by far one of the most interesting books I have reviewed so far.What a great book to own!

I was first drawn in by the very beautiful, calm picture that covers the entire book. The green rolling hills along with the sun setting behind the clouds is just magnificent. Then to see the edges of the pages, which are jagged in a way to where it makes you feel as though you are reading a book set back in the era when most of these songs were written. I also love how the actual sheet music to the songs is on one side of the page and right across from it, you have the background story of each song. Underneath the title of every song, is the year that it was written, followed by a Bible verse. Then it goes into who wrote it and why it was written. The history behind some of these songs are very enduring. It is neat to find out where and why some of the best loved hymns (along with Christmas and Easter songs) have made their way into the hearts of so many people.

Within the book you will find 150 songs. Yes that is right, 150 songs! Some of my favorite that made it in the book are as follows:

Christmas:
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
There's a Song in the Air
It Came Upon the Midnight Clear

Easter:
Christ the Lord Is Risen Today
There Is Power in the Blood

Thanksgiving:
Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow
Great Is They Faithfulness

Patriotic:
My Country, 'Tis of Thee

Spiritual Hymns:
Amazing Grace
What a Friend We Have in Jesus
When We All Get to Heaven

This book would make a great gift or can be used as a devotional or used to sing songs with the whole family as they stand together around the piano spending quality time together. I really love this book and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoy singing these songs either in church or at home.

I thank Thomas Nelson for giving me the opportunity to review this book.