Loung Ung is the book’s narrator and author. She tells the story of her childhood in Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge regime. Born in 1970, Loung belongs to a prosperous family headed by her father, who works with the Cambodian government. When the government is overthrown in 1975, her life becomes a series of struggles as she watches family members die and suffers intense starvation. Through it all, Loung relies on memories of happier times to survive extreme violence and deprivation. She also has a rich inner life, reflected in her active imagination. For example, when she hears that her sister Keav is sick in another village, Loung recreates the events surrounding the illness, perhaps as a way to cope with her inability to know Keav’s specific condition.

Through the Khmer Rouge years of 1975 to 1979, Loung matures faster than any young child should. Her dreams of killing Pol Pot and her reactions to the death she saw on a regular basis are not the typical thoughts of a young person. These thoughts also reflect the extent to which victims of violence seek to externalize their trauma by inflicting violence on others.

After the Vietnamese Army invades Cambodia in 1978, Loung escapes the Khmer Rouge to a refugee camp.