The Stones Cry Out: A Cambodian Childhood, 1975-1980

by Molyda Szymusiak

Book Overview

In 1975, Molyda Szymusiak (her adoptive name), the daughter of a high Cambodian official, was twelve years old and leading a relatively peaceful life in Phnom Penh. Suddenly, on April 17, Khme Rouge radicals seized the capital and drove all its inhabitants into the countryside. The chaos that followed has been widely publicized, most notably in the movie The Killing Fields. Murderous brutality coupled with raging famine caused the death of more than...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 025321291X
• ISBN13: 9780253212917
• Release Date: April 1999
• Publisher: Indiana University Press
• Length: 264 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Chilling and moving

My heart sank lower and lower with each successive chapter. This is certainly not a book one can read while couching comfortably on a sofa. If you are familiar with Cambodian history of the Khmer Rouge regime, this book is indeed a chilling read. But at the same time, one can't help feeling admiration for the author's fortitide in the face of unimaginable hardship and horror.

A sobering look at man's inhumanity to man.

Actualy I would rate this 4 and 1/2 stars. Having read "First they killed my father" by Loung Ung It would be difficult for me to review this book with out comparing it to Loung Ung's memoir.Both are essentially the same story, a young upper middle class girl living in Phnom Phen in april of 1975 when thier life, family and happiness are torn from them by the khmer rouge. Many of thier experinces are similar as you might expect (long hours in forced labor, family deaths, witnessing murder ect..) but each has a unique story of thier own.The writing styles also vary greatly and this is where Loung's "First they killed my Father is the better" book. Molyda tells her story in a very straight foward manner. Her discriptions of murder, torture and rotting corpses are alomost clinical in tone as if she is afaid to visit or express her real feelings at the time (and who could realy blame her) we are giving only hints about her family and life before April 17th 1975 (to be fair this may be in part to spare distant family members still in Cambodia from retalation)In Loung's book however we are treated to two light hearted chapters discribing her life in Phnom Pehn before April 17th 1975 this gives the reader a chance to feel they realy know her, her brother's, sisters and parents thier strengths and weakness'. Loung's memoir is far more emotional in tone and feeling leaving the reader almost gasping for air at points. For those overly squimish that makes "The Stones Cry Out" the better of the two books. It is also the better of the two books if your sole interest is the surrounding history of the killing fields.But for those just wishing to read a great emotional book "first They killed My father" is the better choice but I would highly recomend both to all.

This is an amazing though heart-wrenching book

I am a 12 year old reader, and this book was heart-breaking. It is so sad that something like this hapenned, and so many peoples' lives were destroyed. Molyda Szymusiak's story makes me realize how lucky I am to enjoy my freedoms.

Every human being should read this book!

This is one of those books, once you start reading you can't stop. I can't even describe the horror and atrocity the Cambodian people had to endure under the Khmer Rouge, but Molyda's book is heart breaking because the story is told from the child's viewpoint. This is a wonderful book describing an event that should never have happened. Hopefully after reading this book, people will never let genocide and a holocaust exist ever again on this earth!

The Killing Fields: one girls story of immense loss and suf

This is the autobiography of Molyda Szymusiak of Cambodia. This story is more intense and real than the movie the "killing Fields" which looked at life in Cambodia during the Kymer Rouge's rein of terror. Molyda allows her readers to enter into the immense sorrow and loss that she experienced as a young girl fighting to stay alive in a world of death. This is life struggle at its worst. The will to survive dies and Molyda's life goes on. A lifetime of death, dying and grieving will be revealed and experienced to every reader. It will open your eyes. Thanks Molyda for opening your heart and letting me experience your life. It has made all the difference in mine. If you're looking for a book from the heart, here it is if you can find it. Because it's no longer in print.