This is one of the best books I've read. It was mesmerizing and heartbreaking and inspiring. Based on her childhood in Cambodia, Ratner tells the story of a young girl, part of the Cambodian royal family, and the way her life and family were torn apart when the Khmer Rouge takes over following the Cambodian revolution. Her voice is poetic and lyrical and seems to transport you to her homeland, and the story of young Raami is full of unimaginable pain and sadness and loss, yet ultimately her message is that there is hope and goodness and humanity in even in these senseless atrocities. I received this book as part of the Goodreads First Reads program.