Beautiful Hero: How We Survived the Khmer Rouge

by Jennifer H. Lau

With only half a canteen of water and one baby bottle, a family of eight fought for their lives in the killing fields and land mines of Cambodia.

Surrounded by unimaginable adverse forces, one strong woman would ultimately lead her entire family to survive. Beautiful Hero is an autobiographical narrative told from a daughter’s perspective. The story centers around Meiyeng, the eponymous Beautiful Hero, and her innate ability to sustain everyone in her family. She shepherded her entire family through starvation, diseases, slavery and massacres in war-torn Cambodia to forge a new life in America.

Over two million people—a third of the country’s population—fell victim to a devastating genocide in Cambodia. The rise of the Khmer Rouge posed not merely a single challenge to survival, but rather a series of nightmarish obstacles that required constant circumvention, outmaneuvering, and exceptional fortitude from those few who would survive the regime intact. The story eerily unravels the layers of atrocity and evil unleashed upon the people, providing a clear view of this horrific and violent time of the Cambodian revolution.br>

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Memoir, Biography, War, Asia, Autobiography

366 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 11, 2016

About the author

Jennifer H. Lau was born in Cambodia in 1970, the third of seven children. She was only five when the Khmer Rouge forcibly relocated her family, friends and neighbors to live and work in one giant concentration camp. She endured four long years of living in perpetual fear, under constant threat of execution, disease, and starvation. Her daily survival often depended on finding the next drop of water, the next grain of rice.

Finally arriving in America at age twelve, illiterate and traumatized, Jennifer forged on – neither willing to accept these setbacks nor to let her former oppressors dictate her future. In addition to working full-time alongside her family to contribute to a fragile new beginning, she also pursued her education with great fervor, endeavoring to learn how to survive the enigmatic first-world challenges of her new country. Her keen understanding of the harsh realities of a struggling nation served her well in her studies at the University of California, Irvine, where she earned dual degrees in Chinese and Chinese Literature, and Economics.

Today, as a Certified Public Accountant, Jennifer Lau owns and runs Topp and Lau accounting firm, where she is proud to contribute to society by assisting individuals, businesses, and charitable organizations. She lives in Orange County, California with her architect husband and their two children, a daughter who was freshman class president, and a son who enjoys karate, basketball, and creating animation.

Having early on been deprived of education herself, Jennifer contributes both time and money to her immediate and extended communities to combat illiteracy. She hopes her story of sorrow and survival inspires readers from all walks of life in their own struggles and successes. She provides this firsthand account of the Khmer Rouge atrocities for future generations to study in the hope to shed light into a dark time. Her greatest fear is that history will repeat itself if we don’t learn from it. Revolution just doesn’t happen overnight.

Reviews

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars
This is an inspiring book. The author tells a story of how she, her 5 siblings, and both parents survived the genocide in Cambodia. The Khmer Rouge killed 2 million people out of a population of 6 million people. The genocide was stopped by the Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia in 1979.
She attributes the reason for their survival to her mother, Mei Yeng. Mei means Beautiful and Yeng means Hero. Her grandparents, several aunts and uncles and many cousins were killed or died of starvation, undernourishment or disease brought on by lack of medical care because of the Khmer Rouge. This is not a book for the faint of heart, as some of the scenes are truly horrific.
I am saddened by the fact that modern day genocide is happening today in Syria and we don't know how to stop recurring genocides.
The author says that she wrote this book to "..slay my nightmares and to contribute insight into a dark period in Cambodia..."
More quotes:
Author:
"I am only alive today because of one woman's courage: my mother Meiyeng."
"It felt like the Khmer Rouge had dropped me into a deep well, and while I was lost, stuck and in shock."
Author describing her mother: "In a strange and bewildering way, I worshiped her, feared her, and loved her; all at the same time."
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. The author sent me an autographed copy.

[Carol, She's so Novel ꧁꧂ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this kindle book as a gift from the author in return for an honest review. Thank you for this Jennifer - I feel very honoured to have been chosen to do a read for review. I've proofed (well, proofed by my standards!) my review & I know I sound fulsome, but this book so deserves it. I have no prior acquaintance with Ms Lau at all.

This book covers the same time period and history as (the brutal treatment and forced relocating of their own people by the Khmer Rouge), but after some shaky sentence construction at the start, I think Jennifer has written the better book.

I wrote as a status update;

"Taking a long time to read a book does not always indicate a lack of interest. Sometimes it's just too harrowing to continue."

& this was so true for me - sometimes I just couldn't carry on reading I was so moved.

The “Beautiful Hero” of this book is Geng's(as Jennifer was then known) mother Meiyeng. Resourceful and shrewd, she is aso very hard on her family – she has to be if the family is going to survive.

I found this passage very moving;

Mother’s tenderness toward my younger sisters caused more tears to pool in my eyes. I felt too old to be hugged and caressed by her, yet my body yearned for her touch; at least this once. I couldn't recall the last time she had shared the same warmth with me. The countless months of hardship had created an ocean of distance between us. It would be too awkward to hug her now. I sat across from her with tear-stained cheeks, wondering if she could feel my sadness and if she knew I loved her unconditionally.

I didn't note down Geng's age at the time but she was probably only seven.

While the story of the Lau family's brutal ill treatment & near starvation is hard for me the toughest thing for me to read was the actions of the Thai soldiers when the Khau family fled to Thailand.

A couple of small criticism the explanation at the end about how the Lau family emigrated to the States is very brief. I would have like to know more. & on my kindle the maps were tiny & I couldn't get them to enlarge.

My favourite cover (even though it doesn't depict the horrifying tale within) and my favourite book of the year so far.

Most highly recommended!

[Amanda Hupe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book on Goodreads as a giveaway. So thank you to the author and Goodreads for the opportunity to read this book.

Beautiful Hero: How We Survived the Khmer Rouge by Jennifer H Lau is a memoir about her young life in Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge. She was 5 years old when the Khmer Rouge took over in 1975. The author’s mother, Meiyeng, is the center of the story. They were evacuated from their home and placed in camps. Any wrong move could result in their death. They were severely punished for anything and risked starving to death or dying of thirst. Meiyeng took great risks to ensure her family’s survival. She was firm and often referred to as “stone-hearted.” However, as the author closely studied her mother, she realized she acted this way purely for the survival of her family. She also led her family to escape to Thailand, where they had to endure the dangers of the jungle. Even though they survive, they carry the scars and nightmares from there journey every day.

The Khmer Rouge murdered a quarter of the population of Cambodia. Their atrocities were unfathomable. As I sit down to write this review, I really don’t have to words to express my feelings about this book. It ripped my heart out and then stepped on it, put it back, then ripped it out a few more times. I did study a little bit of this history in college. However, if I didn’t have friends that currently live in Cambodia working at an orphanage, I wouldn’t know the severity of these events and how they still impact life in Cambodia.

This memoir should be a requirement to read in high school or college. The way the author discusses their life during these events is clear and raw. She also discusses many themes like tyranny and democracy, life and death. She goes into great detail. Some details may be difficult to read and they are extremely graphic. There is so much suffering and death from all ages. I think it is necessary too. This is a part of history that we can’t forget. I can’t tell you how many times I had to put this book down because I had tears streaming down my face.

Throughout the pain and suffering, I kept thinking, “Humans are terrible. Why do we do this to each other?” But the strength and courage of the family shine through. Bravo. This book needs to be read by everyone. This book deserves more than 5 stars.

[Cookie M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I read this book about one family's horrifying attempt to escape the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia in the 1970's I couldn't stop comparing it with what was going on with my life at exactly the same time. Unspeakable atrocities were being perpetrated against entire families, while we in the West were blissfully unaware.
Jennifer Lau's account shares the courage and determination of her close knit family and tells how her Beautiful Hero, her unstoppable mother got her family out of Cambodia and into freedom.
Not a light read,but worth it.


I received this book free from Goodreads in exchange for an honest review.

[Glen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book in a goodreads drawing.

An excellent biography about surviving the depredations of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. Amazing anyone survived that time.

[Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought the cover was absolutely beautiful! And so fitting for a truly inspiring story of one family's resiliance and determination to survive and find a way for their family to be free. It is also a heart-wrenching tale of how a country can be utterly decimated when a cruel regime dupes the citizens and comes to power, stealing everything from everyone because it can, because it was the ones with the guns. I cannot imagine surviving after witnessing daily horror and having nothing to look forward to but the certainty that tomorrow one can count on being traumatized again. How painful it must have been to watch family and friends slowly waste away, and die from very preventable causes, and all because a few who had power were greedy and wished to extract as much work as possible from each person while feeding them as little as possible. I was incredibly moved by this story, and hope that noone ever has to experience such atrocities again.
I received this book in a Goodreads giveaway, and very glad, because I consider it memorable, thank you!

[Stephanie Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

Memoirs from a woman whose family was Cambodian refugees in the 1970’s. This was harrowing to read; her family would not have survived if not for the determination and survival skills that the mother possessed.
Brought to my mind memories of seeing those little Cambodian children behind fences on the news in the ‘70s, looking so scared. And being reminded to, “Clean your plate; little children are starving over there in Cambodia.”

[Peggy Geiger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: Autobiography, Non-fiction

The Khmer Rouge, followers of the Cambodia Communist party, was an offshoot of the North Vietnam People's Army established in 1968. During the Cambodian revolution in the years 1975 to 1979, Cambodian genocide resulted in the death of over two million people, one third of the country's total population.

Although the story was written by the adult author, it is told from the perspective of a small child. At the age of five, her village was forced to evacuate their homes with very little time to gather food and belongings. The book describes with unimaginable horror, the author's family of eight, as they endure detailed hardship and atrocities as they traveled through war ravaged Cambodia. The author and her family were forced on a death march through Cambodian labor camps on the way to Thailand. What followed was an ongoing nightmare mixture of starvation, massacres, diseases, deprivation, insects and slavery. The author would ultimately lose her grandparents, most of her aunts and uncles as well as numerous cousins during their eventual migration to America.

From the author, "I am only alive today because of one woman's courage: my mother Meiyeng." Mei means "beautiful" and Yeng means "hero", thus part of the title, "Beautiful Hero".

Another quote from the author at age five, "It felt like the Khmer Rouge had dropped me in a deep well, and while I was lost, stuck and in shock."

As a 1967 high school graduate, I followed the Vietnam war because it affected me personally. Fellow classmates and young men my age were drafted and sent to fight in the hot jungles of Vietnam right after high school graduation. The "not old enough to buy a beer or vote but old enough to fight and die" mentality of the clueless Johnson administration insured many young men would never come home. Thousands more would come back permanently injured, drug addicted and suffering from post combat stress.

In 1975, as a young mother of a two year old, I was unaccountably less informed on the subject of the Cambodian genocide. I would not be aware of the horrific consequences for many years. Until I read this book, I was mostly unaware of the magnitude of the suffering of tens of thousands of victims of the Khmer Rouge.

Considering the ongoing genocide in today's world, I recommend this book to anyone. It is a hard book to read, but necessary if we are to ever learn from the past. The author does not soft peddle the horrific abuse inflicted upon their family and many others.

I received an autographed copy from the author after winning a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Vicky Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coffee, Rice, and Gold

An amazing journey by a family of refugees forcefully evacuated from their homes by the Khmer Rouge in the decade of the 70's, and the horrible experiences they endured over several years. I first learned about the Khmer Rouge in historical strategy computer games in this decade. Most of these events happened while I was in High School. So, it was a gripping read, against the backdrop of my life growing up here in America.

I was most surprised by the intensity of an individual will to live, and respect for human life by the main characters, amidst such flagrant disregard for human life by the invaders. But, time and again, they endured immense suffering just to prolong the lifespan of their family members by days, hours, and even minutes. This is well worth reading.

This was my stop in Cambodia on my Journey Around the World for 2019-2020. My next stop is Indonesia, where I am reading Jared Diamond's Upheaval.

[Sambath Meas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful Hero: A Tribute to an Extraordinary Mother

The whole point of reading literature, it seems to me, is to learn to have sympathies, imaginative relationships with people who are different from one’s self.
—Irving Howe

All families suffer under the Khmer Rouge (Red Khmer), but each in its own way. For the Hong family, in addition to playing down their commercial background, they must also renounce their Chinese language, heritage, and culture, and speak Khmer peasant vernacular in order to appear nonthreatening to the Angkar (Organization). Like the rest of the population who are not of the upper echelon of the Khmer Rouge, they overwork themselves and subsist on morsels of food, little sleep, and no medical treatment. Whatever they do, it is never enough to please the people who supposedly are the eyes, ears, and mouthpiece of the mysterious Angkar. Jennifer H. Lau’s Beautiful Hero is not only about her mother, whose tiger-mom mentality saves her family from starvation and violent death, but it is also about finding humanity in the most trying times of human existence.

Jennifer pays tribute to her mom, Meiyeng (which means “beautiful hero” in Chinese), in this epic family memoir. Meiyeng finds herself assuming her father’s role by working overtime and attending school part-time, starting at the age of ten, after he becomes an alcoholic due to negative comments resulting from a bad business venture. Hard work and responsibilities have been instilled in Meiyeng at a young age. She took care of her siblings and parents. Even after marrying, she steers her husband toward business that is “passive and profitable” rather than “labor-intensive” and “risky.” She shines as a matriarch. She helps her husband and together they provide a comfortable life for their children with their profitable businesses (a hair salon, which she runs, and photography, which her husbands runs), a nice home to live in, and land ownership. Then America abandons the Lon Nol regime, and the China-backed Khmer Rouge relentlessly slaughters Lon Nol’s soldiers and wins the war in 1975. Soon the people will find out that they will suffer the same fate—but not before they’re mentally, spiritually and physically tortured, after they are forced to evacuate at gunpoint to leave their properties and their comfortable modern lifestyle.

Amy Chau, the author of Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, points to the following as successful traits: 1) superiority complex, a deep-seated belief in one’s exceptionality; 2) insecurity, a feeling that you or what you’ve done is not good enough; 3) impulse control —the ability to resist temptation, and systematically sacrifice present gratification, in pursuit of future attainment. Throughout their long, forced evacuation and in their four years under and after the Khmer Rouge, it is Meiyeng who keeps not only her family alive but her brothers and relatives as well, knowingly or unknowingly practicing these traits.

First, it is quite possible that Meiyeng’s superiority complex, in addition to her family’s hunger, makes her take great risks, even under the hawkish eyes of the Khmer Rouge soldiers, local chiefs, and supporters of the Angkar. She acts as an intermediary, to wheel and deal and barter possessions of the old, modern world to dangerous people of this new, backward world, who are buyers and still lust after watches, jewelry, and other luxuries. Even after she and her family witness their ignorant, illogical and brutal ways, she still pushes on. When Meiyeng is caught, an exchange of local power diverts and spares her from execution. Luck and the play of events seems to have a role in the Hong family’s destiny, too.

Second, in regard to her insecurity, a feeling of not having done enough, Meiyeng has demonstrated this on countless occasions. She uses all of her brainpower and strength to reason and trade with the natives while acting as the underground wheeler and dealer. Working in the fields alone and accepting the small portion of porridge, she knows it will not sustain her family. There has to be more, and she and her husband are always looking for ways to help their family.

When the children’s health is failing, her knowledge and resourcefulness saves them. Hard labor, fear, anxiety, lack of food, and infection have caused her brother’s system to shut down, and he cannot relieve himself for many days. He’s within an inch of his life; but she refuses to let him go and pulls him back with her concoctions and extreme physical therapy. She makes her children eat poison fruit to excrete the many worms inside their bodies. “I was much in awe of Mother’s insane methodology and her ability to heal us without killing us. How did wisdom or knowledge come to her with such ease? What possessed her to give us poison which took us to the brink of death, only to yank us back to life? In a strange and bewildering way, I worshipped her, feared her, and loved her; all the same time.”

Third, it’s her impulse control, to sacrifice present gratification in pursuit of future attainment, that’s displayed when she forces her children to work hard on their garden, in part to divert the Khmer Rouge and the indoctrinated people from thinking they are planning on escaping and from starving to death. The author dislikes her mother for pushing her hard to work on the garden and to act as a clock for her. “I could not distinguish if she was my tormentor or savior,” says Jennifer. “I felt her punishment and her deliverance all at once. Sometimes she talked about having all of us hang ourselves; yet other times, she worried parasites would kill us.” Meiyeng pushes her children and her husband hard so that they would not give up, and to live as long as they can under this brutal and hopeless regime.

Lastly, Jennifer, at such a young age, not only goes through constant hardship of forced labor, but she also bears witness to the most heinous crimes against humanity. She watches as the Khmer Rouge soldiers beat her uncle’s wife to death; as Thai soldiers blow off a woman’s head next to her; as thousands of others, including her family, get dumped off of the Dangrek cliff that is infested with landmines.

The Hongs are survivors. Thank goodness they found a home in the United States of America where they thrive. Most importantly, their humanity is still intact. I highly recommend this book. Please grab yourself a copy of Jennifer H. Lau’s Beautiful Hero: How We Survived the Khmer Rouge.

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

DISCLAIMER - I received a free copy of this book in return for an impartial review.

The story is beautiful and important for us to absorb and digest as many of us have forgotten our own family histories of immigration to the US. Beautiful Hero recounts one Chinese Cambodian family's struggles to escape the Khmer Rouge regime's debauchery during the last half of the 1970's. Almost forgotten in the U.S., being over shadowed by the closure of the VietNam War and Vietnamese Boat People, it is an important part of the South East Asian history of the mid-20th Century.

Author Jennifer Lau describes a period of almost ten years starting with the eviction from their urban home by the Khmer Rouge, the following years struggle as peasant farmers in rural Cambodia and finally the multiple attempts to escape to Thailand. Jennifer narrates the life and death events of her family through the eyes of a young girl. The early part of the story is very fragmented, with many sections contradicting each other. A good editor would have been in order to straighten out the story and provide additional background on the Khmer Rouge within the SE Asian setting. It is obvious as time progresses Ms. Lau's memory of people and events are much stronger. As a result the writing is concise and the story easier to follow.

All in all I do recommend this story as an important personal account of the atrocities committed by a gangster government who only looked after personal interests of those who could claw themselves to the top and do whatever was necessary to stay there.

[Sherri Silvera · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is truly a hard book to rate. It was RELENTLESS - the horror of the Cambodian genocide and specifically what the author's family lived through. With luck, hard work, grit and the fierceness of a strong mother Lau's entire family survived years of continual nightmarish conditions and tribulations.

The writing of the book was therapeutic for Lau and it was a relief to hear that as I don't know that many would have the strength of body and mind to come out as well as she has.

I want to thank Goodreads for the Kindle version of this heart wrenching memoir.

[Kyle McCreary · Rating 5 out of 5]

NOTE: I just finished my second reading of "Beautiful Hero," and suddenly realized I had never posted a review after my first reading, for which I am ashamed and deeply sorry. I received a free copy of the e-book over a year ago through Goodreads, in exchange for a promise of an honest review.

THE REVIEW: Jennifer Lau's autobiographical work "Beautiful Hero: How We Survived the Khmer Rouge" is a treasured addition to my collection. After reading the (free) book on my Kindle, I purchased a paperback copy to support the author and to be able to share it with others. It made that much of an impression on me. This is an intriguing, heart-wrenching tale of one family's fight to survive one of the bloodiest times in recent history.

As the Goodreads description states,

The book highlights the most basic impulses of man: good vs. evil, individual vs. group, democracy vs. tyranny, and life vs. death. It is the ultimate story of love, sacrifice, survival, and redemption -- and lives pushed to the limits. It reaffirms the good in humanity by showing how one family lived and survived with grace and dignity.

Reading this tragic tale of survival, I encountered a swirling maelstrom of emotions. Ms. Lau shares the anguish and torment that she, as a young girl, and her family faced during the bloody takeover of her native county by the Khmer Rouge. But intertwined with the vivid retelling of the brutal hardships her family endured are heartfelt scenes of love, endurance and even a few glimpses of childhood joy as Jennifer and her siblings tried to find moments of normalcy in the midst of a horrific life of violence, forced labor and attempted slaughter by the communist forces of the Khmer Rouge.

"Beautiful Hero" is the English translation of Meiyeng, Ms. Lau's mother's name, and a beautiful hero she certainly was. Meiyeng gave all that she had to protect, provide for and lead her family out of the hell that their homeland had become.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won a giveaway kindle version of this book for a review. Jennifer Lau gives an impressive account of what her family went through to escape the siege of the Khmer Rouge. At five years old her family was forced out of their homes. Her family spent to next six years trying to escape to freedom and eventually to America. The goal for this Chinese family who were born in Cambodia was to survive and make it to Thailand where they hoped for freedom and help. "Beautiful Hero" is what her mother's name means."Mei Jeng ' Geng, now known as Jennifer witnessed the brutality aimed at her family members and others. Some of her young cousins aunts and uncles died during the six years. The families were always starving with little food and water to keep them alive. Geng remembers her mother and her bravery to help keep her family alive. Heartbreaking to read and I am amazed at the endurance of this family.

[Andrea Huelsenbeck · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1975, I was a young wife and teacher. Although I knew about the Vietnam War, I was blissfully unaware of the U.S. bombings of Cambodia that greatly facilitated the take-over of that country by the Khmer Rouge. I wouldn’t hear about the killing fields until decades later.
Meanwhile, five-year-old Geng, born in Cambodia to Chinese parents, was about to have her world turned upside down. Along with her parents (a photographer and a hair dresser), her brother, and two sisters, she was driven from her home and relocated by the Khmer Rouge.
The next four and a half years consisted of death marches, starvation, forced labor, and dreams of escape. In Beautiful Hero: How We Survived The Khmer Rouge, Geng (now known as Jennifer H. Lau), details their trials and credits her mother, Meiyeng (Beautiful Hero), with keeping the family together and alive.
The beginning of the book, which deals with Lau’s parents’ background, moved slowly for me. But once the story began, the words melted away, and I was immersed in the family’s struggle. Lau uses simple language to narrate the experience from the viewpoint of her five-year-old self, forced by circumstance to endure at a young age what no one should ever have to experience. She describes the crowds of people leaving her village in a forced evacuation, carrying with them prized possessions they had only minutes to gather. Her father carried cameras, protecting his business investment. Her mother packed practical things, food, medicine. They joined their extended family in the street and started their long trek to an unknown future, their terror punctuated with occasional gun shots from the Khmer soldiers accompanying them.
Meiyeng, considering all the information she gleaned from conversations with other evacuees, came up with a strategy for their Khmer Rouge interrogations. She instructed her children, “Never say we had people working for us. Only family members. Never admit we owned land. Never mention we can read and write.” Traditional villagers held value for the Khmer Rouge; those tainted by capitalistic ideas needed “re-education.” Payment of bribes increased their chances of survival, while other Cambodians disappeared, rumored “whacked and dumped.”
Many people talked about escaping to Thailand. In fact, many had fled before the Khmer Rouge came, only to be turned back at the border by soldiers mowing down escapees.
Geng’s extended family decided to separate themselves from their evacuation group while the soldiers were distracted, backtrack toward home, and continue onward to Thailand. They camped for two weeks at a farm, Geng’s father working for the local chief’s collective. Meijing traded her jewelry for rice and livestock, which they slaughtered for food. Unfortuately, the Khmer Rouge knew their whereabouts, and soon came with trucks to round them up, along with others who had been earmarked for termination.
But first they were taken to a labor camp. Their survival depended on their ability to perform long hours of back-breaking labor. Geng’s father was part of a team of men yoked together to pull a plow. Meiyeng planted rice. The work continued beyond their exhaustion. People died from overwork, or from being shot for trying to escape.
Soon, they were marched to a different village where they were allowed to build a hut. They were even allowed to plant a garden, which they did, because food was scarce.
In this village, children were told to watch the newcomers and to report if anyone did anything suspicious or forbidden. Khmer Rouge came to search the family’s hut, and found Geng’s father’s cameras. The soldiers accused them of being spies. Why else would they have so many cameras?
Meiyeng quickly explained they were photographers by trade and apologized that they had not turned in their cameras before then. Her quick thinking, offering the cameras to the soldiers, saved their lives.
Once Meiyeng’s sewing skills were revealed, she worked as a seamstress, making uniforms for the head chief and doing patching and alterations for the villagers. After work, women came to her to have their hair cut to the required bob, and paid her in plants, seeds, rice, and meat.
As the plants in the garden thrived, Meiyeng gave propagations to family and friends, helping them survive the austere conditions. Her dedication to the garden assured the Khmer Rouge she was not a flight risk.
Other villagers advised Meiyeng about how not to draw attention to herself. The family gave up practicing Chinese traditions and spoke only Khmer.
Meanwhile, Geng’s father caught fish at night for his family, defying the regulation that all fish caught belonged to the collective. Later, when he was sent to a labor camp, the loss of the fish brought them close to starvation.
The children’s lives fell into a routine. They were responsible for chores, but they also found time to play. Geng was in charge of the woodpile, and was severely punished if it ran out.
Illness was a constant challenge. Meiyeng administered traditional Chinese healing teachniques to her extended family, like “coining”—scraping the body with the tip of a spoon to rid the sufferer of toxins. The remedy for intestinal worms was much worse. I’ll let you consult the book for that.
Meiyeng became the middleman for the black market in the village. Fluent in Khmer and three Chinese dialects, she moved between the haves and the have-nots, facilitating trades of goods, usually jewelry for rice, and taking a commission.
In May of 1979, when I was a new mother, halfway around the world Geng’s family joined a group of Cambodians fleeing to Thailand. Geng was now nine years old; she had a new baby sister. They entered the jungle with a guide and twelve other families, walking single file in silence, due to soldiers patrolling and fighting nearby. They walked throughout he night, while battles raged around them. After a short nap, they continued, cautioned to watch out for booby traps, until they met up with Thai soldiers, an indication they had crossed the border.
The soldiers were less than benevolent; they searched the refugees’ belongings and took whatever pleased them.
The family joined a large crowd of fellow runaways in a refugee camp. Thai citizens handed them plastic baggies of water, rice, and a blue tarp to use as a tent. After a time, they were herded toward buses to be transported. Again, locals gave them gifts of water, rice, and candy. Finally, someone called to them in Chinese that they were on their way to be “dumped,” but there was no escape. They were forced onto the bus by soldiers’ rifle butts.
Thirteen hours later, they were unloaded at the top of a cliff, and pressed toward the edge with thousands of other refugees. Below them lay Cambodia. And an unmarked minefield. The soldiers commanded them to descend.
For six hours, the crowd stood at the precipice. Then the soldiers fired a barrage. With no other alternative but death, one by one the people jumped off the cliff and rolled down the steep side of the mountain, grabbing at tree roots and boulders, trying to slow their falling bodies. Like a steady waterfall, people streamed down the mountain, forcing those at the bottom to spread out and move away, some triggering mines and getting blown to bits.
Those who survived the descent off the cliff now carefully picked their way across the minefield. Some of the trailblazers lost their lives by accidentally detonating explosives; others successfully navigated by carefully placing their feet in the footprints of those who had gone before, surrounded by the stench of decaying corpses. It took them three months to return to the area of Cambodia they had tried so hard to leave.
I have given you some of the highlights from Beautiful Hero; but the story is by no means complete. I barely touched on what Geng’s family suffered, and the horrifying number of Cambodians who were annihilated at the hands of the Khmer Rouge.
I am ashamed that I was totally oblivious to what happened in Cambodia. Millions of Americans probably have no idea what transpired there. I am thankful to have read this account by a survivor of the atrocities. Jennifer Lau’s Beautiful Hero is a compelling read, a story of perseverance through great adversity.  

[Star Gater · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stars: 3.5

My appreciating Lau's storytelling feels disrespectful. However, it is said with sincerity. She writes from a young age the trials of war, being taken advantage of, and surviving.

I would classify this as middle grade to young adult. There are things spoken but not described.

My one question is my usual, why do people keep having kids and can't take care of those born preturmoil? She has more respect for her parents than I do.

I recommend for all ages.

This is a Goodreads Giveaway Kindle Win for me from December 2024). Read as part of the Read What I Own Challenge x100.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was extremely well written, and I'm glad I read it. I didn't know much about this topic, so I learned a lot while reading it. This family is amazing for surviving.

[Yibbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What does love look like? This book is a beautiful picture of a Mother’s love. The lengths the author’s mother went to ensuring the survival of not only her family but any others she could help is amazing.
Every page of this memoir gripped me.
It’s an unvarnished memoir. Very little is told about the events that plunged the author’s family into the maelstrom. It’s the memories of a child struggling to make sense of a world dominated by absolute evil. How can she understand the action of adults who no longer control their own lives? How can she understand the love of parents forced to make impossible decisions? This is the story of a child beginning to understand that love.
While it is a devastating read and the author has done her best to keep is as clean as possible, it is still for a mature audience. It won’t be an easy read for adults either. The level of violence, death, and disease is just horrific. There are also two or three mild curse words.
For what it’s worth, I think this book has the most beautifully haunting cover I have seen in a long time. It suits the story. There is something incredibly sad about it.
I have read several memoirs of this time, and this is one of the saddest; the saddest part being the absence of any eternal hope. How terrible to only be able to look forward to a reincarnation to this wicked world! It was just heartbreaking.
I received this book for free through the Goodreads Giveaways. No review was required, but it was my pleasure to write it.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the stuff of nightmares. While reading Beautiful Hero, I had to keep reminding myself that the horrific circumstances surrounding the narrator's childhood actually happened. This isn’t makebelieve. The atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge, its forced labor camps and genocide are unfathomable. And yet we’re not shocked. Every day we’re reminded of man’s capacity for cruelty and inhumanity. Watching the news sends us riding an emotional rollercoaster from outrage to shame and helplessness. Jennifer H. Lau’s intensely personal story stirs up every conceivable emotion from love and hate, to hope and despair. Tragedy wanes with moments of humor. The one thing it never evokes is indifferent.
Throughout Lau’s narrative, she provides approximate dates. For me, these were retrospective triggers. What was I doing “Circa June 1976”? I can’t recall exactly. No doubt I was wallowing in teenage heartbreak or whining under the burden of too much homework. I certainly wasn’t living in constant fear of death, weak from hunger, being eaten alive by intestinal parasites and treated as an actual beast of burden.
The mark of a great book is its ability to stay with me for days, even years after I’ve put it down. This is one I’ll never forget. My copy of Beautiful Hero, provided by the author through Goodreads Giveaways, won’t be collecting dust on my bookshelf. I’ll be pressing it into the hands of another curious reader. This story needs to be passed on. Thank you, Jennifer H Lua, for your courage and the gift of your remarkable memories.

[Ted Waterfall · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Biblical Job and all his troubles had nothing on this true to life family as they tried desperately to survive the brutal genocidal policies of the Khmer Rouge after they seized control of the Cambodian government in the mid-1970s. Attempting to create a truly classless, Communist government, the Khmer Rouge's main tactic was to murder the elite, or anyone who seemed to be elite. Where even wearing a pair of glasses could classify you as an intellectual and result in the death penalty. Where stealing from a fruit tree outside one of the communal farms, upon which entire populations had been herded, could be viewed as a sign of engaging in private enterprise which was punishable with death.

The author of this book was five years old when the Khmer Rouge took over and wrote this book as a memoir in her adult years. Her family decided to escape Cambodia to nearby Thailand in hopes of a better life, but this journey, as well, was filled with terror, frustration, and death.

I learned a lot about not only the Khmer Rouge, responsible for murdering about 25% to 33% of the Cambodian population in less than 5 years, but also about Cambodian traditions and culture, absolute love and devotion, and the bravest family I have ever read about in my life.

If your emotions can handle it, I highly recommend this book. I might also recommend reading a brief article on the Khmer Rouge first, though, as this will make this book more understandable.

I won this Kindle download free of charge from Goodreads.com and offer this review of my own free will.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually won this Kindle book in one of the GoodReads author book giveaways for books that are on my to read shelf. I know generally about what the Khmer Rouge did to the Cambodian people but had not really read much in detail. The author gives a first hand account of what she observed from age five to age twelve from before they came to power to their forcing people from urban to rural areas to live in communes and work the fields as slave laborers. Many of the educated, business or land owners were selected for re-education or killed. Many starved to death or died from harsh conditions. The author and her family eventually made it to the US and became successful in various careers. The memoir focuses on how the author’s mother held the family together during trying times. I only wish she had included more details about their journey to America and how they adjusted and assimilated and became American citizens as it ended rather abruptly. I would rate 4.5 and I almost always round up.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

-4/5. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via the Goodreads giveaway.

"Beautiful Hero" is an autobiographical memoir by Jennifer Lau, in which the author details her childhood in Cambodia, under the oppression of the Khmer Rouge. Only five years old when the Khmer Rouge appeared at her door one night and forced her family out, the author tells her story of death, famine and ultimately resilience.

The author does a good job with her personal narration, and also makes sure to add historical context and facts throughout. The maps and personal pictures embedded throughout the book were also an appreciated personal touch.

Overall, this is a tough but important read and I would highly recommend it to other non-fiction readers.

[Sue Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truly amazing

I read this book while visiting Cambodia and wanted to learn more about the country, people, and the Khmer Rouge. It is truly amazing what the Cambodian people lived thru and their courage to never give up. The people today are very warm and friendly, always there to help in their own way. I enjoyed this book very much and applaud Jennifer Lau on her tenacity and courage. This is an amazing family.

[Jennifer Mangler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not an easy book to read, but that's exactly why more people should read it. I knew about the Khmer Rouge before I starting reading and yet still found myself shocked and horrified by what Lau's family endured. Her mother is a true force of nature and I am in awe of her strength and determination to keep her family alive and get them to safety. Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via the Goodreads giveaway.

[oohlalabooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an emotional yet inspiring book to have read. It’s an autobiography of Jennifer Lau’s horrific experience of the Khmer Rouge genocide. No child, no human should have had to endure such violence, such hate, to have witnessed death, or to feel guilt because out of millions you survived. There are no words! So sad. Thank you Jennifer Lau and Goodreads for my ebook copy. This is my honest review.

[Eva · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will stay with me. It was very hard to read but I didn't want to put it down. The story was well written. It was so descriptive that the scenes came alive; I felt like I was there. I was a few years older than the author when this story took place. I couldn't help but compare my childhood to hers. I have so much admiration for her family. I was overjoyed by parts and horrified by others. After reading this I had a lot of thinking to do. I received this in a Goodreads giveaway.

[Dara · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing book about a time in history that I knew little about. To read about the atrocities that mankind is capable of is unbelievable. The perseverance of this family makes you wonder if given the same situation how would you fair? My guess is not well. A well written book rich in detail. I’m glad I won this through the Goodreads giveaway.

[Rebecca Matchette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wrong Expectations

I would give the book 4 stars had it had more historical content and background. I found myself looking up the 'whys ' of the political climate, etc. Still not sure why Vietnam got involved for example. Or the difference between the Khmer Rouge factions. As a straightforward memoir and testament to survival....Beautiful Hero shines.

[Russty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Won Kindle version in a GoodReads giveaway...

Wonderful story of survival.. Lot of history never learned in "history" class!!!

Thanks for the education!!!

[Ronald Keeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful Hero by Jennifer Lau comes with the subtitle “How We Survived The Khmer Rouge.” I could not help but compare it to stories of the Nazi Holocaust; many others have made the same comparison, I am in no way original in doing so. This is the story of one family’s successful attempt to escape from a country occupied and ruled by a group of leaders who followed the politics of genocide. Pol Pot was the principal leader but could not exercise complete autocratic power. As recently as last year some of his close advisers were still appearing in court charged with war crimes. Things did not get much better for the Lau family after the 1978 Vietnamese invasion because there were pockets of the country still partially under control of remnants of the Khmer Rouge. We know that Pol Pot died in 1998 under suspicious circumstances. I was living in Cambodia at the time and have yet to see accurate information about the circumstances surrounding his death.

The author was a few months away from her twelfth birthday when she arrived in the United States in 1981 with eight others in her family. Her experiences with the Khmer Rouge began when she was five and lasted four years. She and many members of her family arrived in a Thai refugee camp in 1979, luckily for her and her family, as the border was closed soon after their arrival. Border closings frequently seemed to be on a whim and it was sometimes hard to determine who was responsible. The border could have been closed by Thai, Vietnamese, or Cambodian authorities.

This is a difficult book to read. The lengths people had to go in order to find food and water was almost unbelievable to me. I have lived in the area for decades, to include wartime service, but I remain amazed at what I read. Lau’s family made attempts to escape to Thailand before their successful one in 1979. During one attempt, in an incident I can’t believe I had never heard of, the family crossed to Thailand, was put on one of several sixty passenger buses, and driven to an area in the Dangrek mountains. Almost forty-five thousand refugees over five days were taken to the top of a mountain and were made to jump and slide down steep terrain. When they were reluctant to do so after a period of several hours, Thai soldiers fired into the crowd. The country they were reentering was Cambodia and the border areas were heavily mined. It took the family two weeks to get to the base of the mountain as they proceeded slowly, each foot placed exactly in the place where the previous person walked to avoid detonating mines.

Reading this novel from the beginning, readers will encounter anecdotes that are so life-threatening things could not get worse. And then they do. The Lau family spent three months walking from the base of the mountain to built-up areas near Siem Reap. There they were able to build up a stock of food and water so they could begin their next attempt to cross into Thailand.

There is an Epilogue in which the author details where the family lives presently and what they are doing. It should be eye-opening for immigration reform advocates. The Lau family is contributing. I would be interested to hear what some of them think of the government-by-chaos policy currently in place.

There is also an Author’s note section that readers might be interested in. One of the two purposes stated is to relieve some of the nightmares of her survival ordeal. Seeing so much death and killing between the ages of five and nine may have produced something like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

This is a five-star Amazon read and is available through Kindle Unlimited. This is one of those “iffy” novels that might benefit from a trigger warning about explicitly described physical cruelty. I am not in favor of trigger warnings except for keeping explicit material out of the hands of the very young. This novel does not qualify under my guidelines, but I would not recommend it to my ten-year-old child. Note that Jennifer Lau was almost ten when she crossed into Thailand.

And a final question, who is the Beautiful Hero? Hint: It is not Jennifer Lau. Once you know who the Hero is, pay attention to that person’s behavior as the story develops. It is inspiring.