54 pages • 1 hour read
When Broken Glass Floats
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Book Brief
When Broken Glass Floats
Nonfiction | Autobiography / Memoir | Adult | Published in 2000336
Autobiography / Memoir • Nonfiction
Cambodia • 1970s
2000
Adult
18+ years
Super Short Summary
When Broken Glass Floats by Chanrithy Him recounts her harrowing childhood and adolescence under the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia. At the age of five, Him endured the brutal takeover, witnessing the murder of her father and losing her mother and siblings to starvation and disease. Despite the pervasive trauma, Him highlights the resilience of the human spirit and the enduring power of familial bonds. Torture, starvation, disease, death of family members.
Dark
Mysterious
Melancholic
Emotional
Challenging
Reviews & Readership
5,612 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Review Roundup
When Broken Glass Floats by Chanrithy Him is lauded for its profound depiction of the Khmer Rouge regime's brutality through the eyes of a child. Reviewers appreciate the authenticity and emotional depth but note occasional narrative disjointedness. The memoir is praised for its historical significance, though its intense, graphic content may be overwhelming for some readers.
Who Should Read When Broken Glass Floats?
A reader who would enjoy When Broken Glass Floats by Chanrithy Him is typically interested in survivor memoirs and historical accounts of human resilience. Fans of First They Killed My Father by Loung Ung or The Diary of Anne Frank would find this book compelling for its poignant depiction of survival under the Khmer Rouge.
5,612 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
336
Autobiography / Memoir • Nonfiction
Cambodia • 1970s
2000
Adult
18+ years
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