To Destroy You Is No Loss: The Odyssey of a Cambodian Family [Paperback]

JoAn D. Criddle (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

With the Khmer Rouge takeover in 1975, 15-year-old Teeda and 15 members of her upper-class family were among millions driven from Phnom Penh into the countryside. Now living in America, Teeda here recounts a terrifying, slavelike existence. PW called this "a poignant testament to the human will to survive."
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

YA A documentary account of the treatment of Cambodians by the Khmer Rouge, written by a keen observor of character and events. Life changed radically for the 15-year-old narrator when the regime took control, turning lives and values upside down. Anyone with education was marked for death; the people of the cities were driven into the countryside to a life of forced agricultural labor under harsh conditions. Positions of responsibility were given to the uneducated and unskilled. As a matter of survival, Teeda learned to hide any sign of her previous education and urban way of life. Although her father was killed, the rest of her family managed to stay together, and her close family relationships sustained Teeda throughout her adolescence. The story of her escape is suspenseful, and the book is sure to hold the interest of teenagers. A fine addition to collections of Southeast Asian history and biography, and a good focus for the study of values. Rita G. Keeler, St. John's School, Houston
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: East/West Bridge Pub House; Updated edition (January 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0963220519
• ISBN-13: 978-0963220516
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #239,517 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #39 in Books > History > Asia > Cambodia

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Cambodian Holocaust, July 22, 2002

By 

S. Brand "sandra807" (United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: To Destroy You Is No Loss: The Odyssey of a Cambodian Family (Paperback)

When I was younger I heard bits and pieces about Cambodia and Pol Pot in the news, but didn't really know what it was about. Through "Destroy You" I finally know about the horrendous and evil history that was being made in that country during the 70's and 80's. This biography follows the story of one particular educated Cambodian family who was exiled from Phnom Penh, along with the entire city full of inhabitants. The Khmer Rouge was doing its job of "cleansing" the city of anything of western influence. Most of the educated populace, including doctors, teachers, lawyers, etc., were murdered, leaving a population of mostly uneducated slaves whose job was to work in the rice fields all day long. Music, laughter, and play were not allowed. The people were taught that everyone was of equal value and equally dispensable, and everyone should work hard to contribute to the good of all with the meekness, acceptance, and fortitude of the water buffalo.

Meanwhile, entire villages were massacred if complaint about the government was overheard. Life was incredibly miserable, especially knowing of friends and relatives that had been killed or had disappeared. When Viet Nam invaded Cambodia tens of thousands of Cambodians attempted escape to Thailand, but Thailand did not want them all, and forced many back at gunpoint, killing anyone, including children, who refused to climb down the treacherous, land mine-studded cliff back into Cambodia. Throughout this book I was grieving about the incredible evil that humans can perpetrate against other humans, and amazed at the endurance and determination of this family and others that managed to survive all this horror.

A story like this can yank us out of any tendency towards self-pity or complaining about the minor difficulties in our lives. I have also read the follow-up book, "Bamboos and Butterflies", about this family after they immigrated to the U.S. Their will to survive is carried on as they integrate into a new culture, and reminds us of why so many seek refuge in the U.S.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A moving, if disturbing tale of survival, January 4, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: To Destroy You Is No Loss: The Odyssey of a Cambodian Family (Paperback)

A story of hope in the face of incredible adversity, this book should be read by anyone interested in the triumph of the human spirit.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars To Destroy You Is No Loss, April 9, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: To Destroy You Is No Loss: The Odyssey of a Cambodian Family (Paperback)

Before starting the book, To Destroy You Is No Loss, I figured, what the heck, might as well read it for my class. As I started to read this book, I relized that how much the US had and has now. Cambodia during the Khmer Reign was a terrible place to be. A place that was being built on the "right ways", ways that are not of the Western World. The book was disturbing, yet it came to life with unbeliveable details of Teeda's grueling years while trying to live under the Khmer Reign. I commend her for being so brave while having to work in the rice paddies. I, for one, could not have worked in such conditions, knowing that each time I stick my hand into mud infested with leeches and posinous snakes could be my last. I also felt for the entire family of the Butts when Grandmother died. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for anything interesting to read. I give this five stars for its compassion and its reality of the Khmer Reign.