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13th out of 35 books
—
16 voters
Little Daughter: A Memoir of Survival in Burma and the West
by
Lewis Damien
Zoya Phan was born in the remote jungles of Burma to the Karen tribe, which for decades has been resisting Burma’s brutal military junta. At age 13, her peaceful childhood was shattered when the Burmese army attacked. So began two terrible years of running, as Zoya was forced to join thousands of refugees hiding in the jungle. Her family scattered, her brothers went deeper...more
Hardcover, 352 pages
Published
June 2nd 2009
by Viking Canada
(first published April 20th 2009)
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Zoya grew up in a self-sufficient jungle society, but was forcibly removed to a refugee camp in Thailand. She was given scholarships and currently lives in London. I enoyed most reading about the peaceful life in the jungle as a child, but was very interested in how the current and past political situation in Burma has affected the common people. By the way, the Karen tribes which have been moved are 3 different religions, but they try to work together for the common good: Christian, Muslim, and...more
Jul 05, 2012
Don Bryant
added it
This is one of those books that opens up the eyes to a whole other level of suffering going on without awareness by the many. I am interested in Burma (now called Myanmar by its totalitarian regime) because of the ministry of Adoniram Judson, one of the first missionaries from North America, sailing in 1812. His story is told in "To the Golden Shore." The accounts of his missionary work stirred more interest in foreign missions than perhaps any other single story, much as David Brainerd's journa...more
Zoya Phan grew up in a Karen village in the jungles of Burma.
Her mother and father were both involved in the resistance movement against the military junta.
But their children lived happy lives despite the encroaching army.
Zoya's world is shattered at the age of 14, when her village is attacked by the Burmese army.
She and her family and other refugees escape into the jungle and seek sanctuary across the border at a Thai refugee camp.
She seeks asylum in London in 2004 and at a "free Burma" march t...more
Her mother and father were both involved in the resistance movement against the military junta.
But their children lived happy lives despite the encroaching army.
Zoya's world is shattered at the age of 14, when her village is attacked by the Burmese army.
She and her family and other refugees escape into the jungle and seek sanctuary across the border at a Thai refugee camp.
She seeks asylum in London in 2004 and at a "free Burma" march t...more
A truly amazing story of survival. I recommend it to anyone who wants to know more about the atrocities being commited on the various ethnic groups within Burma by a military regime that runs the country on fear, persecution and the bloodshed of innocent people.
This book really bought home to me what is happening in Burma.The military government attacking, killing, mutilating, raping, starving its own people. They have been doing so for many decades and WE are letting them get away with it by c...more
This book really bought home to me what is happening in Burma.The military government attacking, killing, mutilating, raping, starving its own people. They have been doing so for many decades and WE are letting them get away with it by c...more
Another one pulled from the shelf while refreshing Non Fiction displays.
Very simply written - the ghost writer seems to be calling it in. Because of this, the magnitude of some events are a little downplayed. For example, she relays how a tiger jumped out of a cave, grabbed a guy by the head and dragged him through a fire... the guy died half in a tiger's mouth and half in a fire.
I'm glad it wasn't more graphic than it was, but it felt like someone talking about going out to get the newspaper...more
Very simply written - the ghost writer seems to be calling it in. Because of this, the magnitude of some events are a little downplayed. For example, she relays how a tiger jumped out of a cave, grabbed a guy by the head and dragged him through a fire... the guy died half in a tiger's mouth and half in a fire.
I'm glad it wasn't more graphic than it was, but it felt like someone talking about going out to get the newspaper...more
Undaunted tells the easily ignored story of Burma, a country ruled by a military junta for about 50 years that performed ethnic cleansing of every smaller cultural group. This book specifically tells the story from the Karen perspective, an ethnic group that was promised their own independent state by the British after World War II but quickly forgotten as Burma gained independence as a whole.
As someone who works with refugees, the ease with which struggles for simple freedoms and the right to l...more
As someone who works with refugees, the ease with which struggles for simple freedoms and the right to l...more
A harrowing account of life under Burmese rule as told by Zoya, the daughter of a prominent resistance fighter assassinated by government forces. The author who is herself now residing in the UK as a political refugee writes of the brutality inflicted on the Karen people of Burma in what is called ethnic cleansing.
The book at various times evokes different emotions - sadness, horror, happiness and guilt - sadness for loss of innocence, horror for the brutality and deprivation these people endure...more
The book at various times evokes different emotions - sadness, horror, happiness and guilt - sadness for loss of innocence, horror for the brutality and deprivation these people endure...more
This should have been an interesting book, but it is so boringly written and so dull that unfortunately I didn't make it past page 32.
Zoya Phan is a member of the minority Karen ethnic group in Burma. When Britain left Burma, the Karen lost most of their civil and human rights. They have been persecuted by the Burmese state ever since as they fight against the state for the right to an independent Karen homeland.
This book recounts that struggle. Both Zoya Phan's parents were resistance fighters...more
Zoya Phan is a member of the minority Karen ethnic group in Burma. When Britain left Burma, the Karen lost most of their civil and human rights. They have been persecuted by the Burmese state ever since as they fight against the state for the right to an independent Karen homeland.
This book recounts that struggle. Both Zoya Phan's parents were resistance fighters...more
Amazing story of a young woman with so much courage and strength to tell the world what is happening to her people in Burma. About what happens to all people of ethinic backgrounds in Burma. Other Burmese people are against the atrocities in Burma. For the uneducated of what is happening in Burma this is a complete eye opener. I never heard of this young woman before in the media or anywhere else and that is a shame. It is shameful that the rest of the world doesn't know of the goings on like Bu...more
This book is hugely important.... it belongs among the ranks of "Night" by Elie Wiesel. Zoya Phan is a Burmese refugee of the Karen ethnic group. It is astounding how long the genocide in Burma against the Karen and other ethnic groups has been going on. It is mindblowing the atrocities that people will commit and force other people to commit on their behalf in order to hold onto power and money. This is nothing new, unfortunately. Zoya's story is sadly all too familiar. After reading this book,...more
I was particularly interested in this book because I visited Burma in 95, and the area along the border of Thailand and Burma a few years earlier. Even more, we now have a large group of Karen refugees in the school where I teach. This book helped me understand the type of experiences that their families endured, and what they might be thinking about their past, present and future. The book itself was more informative than gripping, but worth the read.
Very powerful and sad true story about the Karen people of Burma . . . but something stops me giving this 4 stars and I can't quite put my finger on what that is. I found it a bit of a 'plod' to get through and the constant name translation I found so tedious - however, I'm sure this is very meaningful for the author. It did make me google news articles about the atrocities occurring in this area of the world. What an amazing character "Little Daughter" is - in fact her whole family are quite in...more
The story of a Karen women as a girl and young adult in the 1980's and 1990's in Burma. Describes life in a refugee camp in Thailand as well as the persecution of Karen people in Burma. A small part is about her experiences in England in the early 21st century.
It took a little bit of work to get into this, but the second half of the book really went fast. How could I not even know that there was a civil war in Burma and that the government was killing it's citizens, raping the women and committing horrible cruelty? I am amazed at how often I forget what a blessing democracy and freedom are. The very end of her book is very moving and left me wondering...what can I do?
This was a difficult read. It starts off with some extremely detailed back history of Burma (Myanmar) and I was about ready to call it quits. But then it got good. Zoya's life is a struggle that makes what I am going through seem like sunshine and rainbows. It opened my eyes to a part of the world that is incredbly difficult under horrible leadership. And it doesn't look like it's going to change anytime soon. This is a definite read!
Well what started off as a slow burner had me in floods by the end!
This is what being in a bookclub is all about!!! This book has left me feeling extremely humble and lucky to be living the life that I am.
What continued to shock me throughout the book was that Zoya Phan is 10 years younger than me and whilst I was living my life in luxury she with was fighting for her life!
A remarkable book about a remarkable people, whose fight for the right to live in peace continues today.
This is what being in a bookclub is all about!!! This book has left me feeling extremely humble and lucky to be living the life that I am.
What continued to shock me throughout the book was that Zoya Phan is 10 years younger than me and whilst I was living my life in luxury she with was fighting for her life!
A remarkable book about a remarkable people, whose fight for the right to live in peace continues today.
While I am glad that I read this book and I learned a lot about a subject on which I knew very little, I found the book slow. I really had to push myself to get through the first half. The writing seemed somehow one demensional, which made it difficult for me to remained engaged in her story. The pace of the second half definitely picked up making the reading much more enjoyable.
In spite of this, why should you read this story? You will learn of Burma and the ethnic cleansing being carried out e...more
In spite of this, why should you read this story? You will learn of Burma and the ethnic cleansing being carried out e...more
I understand how she felt because I am from the Karen people and lived the culture. Very good book to learn about people and the journey they took to survive.
An informative story of survival and history in Burma. Helped me to understand my Karen friends much better.
I read this book under the title: Undaunted: My struggle for freedom and survival in Burma
Shocking, it reads like a thriller sometimes and then you almost forget it is real.
Excellent story; human rights in Burma and courage of generations.
A much-needed reminder to the world of what's going on in Burma, focusing particularly on the ethnic cleansing inflicted on the Karen people. For the record: Burma has more child soldiers than any other country in the world. Boys as young as ten are routinely kidnapped by the military, drugged to make them more aggressive, and taught to kill and rape. The regime deliberately uses rape as a weapon of war and terror, even on children as young as five years old. This book made me angry, as it shoul...more
It was shocking to hear how the Karan people were being treated by the Burmese government in power. She described her life during peaceful times and how drastically it changed when she had to go into hiding or stay in a refugee camp. She was very grateful for the educational opportunities she was able to experience. It was amazing to see how much she accomplished in a few short years with so little resources.
Fantastic and informative read. A very touching ending.
An inspiring and heartbreaking story. Though I have heard much about the plight of Karen refugees in my trip to Burma and in working with refugees here in the US, this account makes the tragic situation even more personal and vivid. I am grateful that Zoya's story has helped draw the world's attention to Burma, a beautiful and deeply troubled land.
I loved this book. It was so thought provoking and interesting and I learnt a lot more regarding the current situation in Burma. I'd highly recommend
A brave young Karen woman who is working so hard to bring the plight of her people to the attention of the world. One day let us hope that Burma is once again a free country and she can go home. This book should be read by anyone who believes in Human Rights for all.
I was disappointed with this book. She has such an amazing story to tell, but you have to dig through the knee deep cliches to find it. Still worth reading - the Burmese civil war is something we all should know more about. Just don't expect shakespeare.
From PW's review: Every danger brings a lesson about the resiliency of family, the necessity for education, or the fragility of hope.
Sounds like a challenging, interesting book to read.
Sounds like a challenging, interesting book to read.
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