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Never Fall Down: A NovelImage may be NSFW.
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by Patricia McCormick
Although Never Fall Down is a novel, it’s based on the childhood of Arn Chorn-Pond, one of the survivors of the Khmer Rouge. The fictionalized biography is written in first person verse, and the effect is powerful.
While I do think this is a fabulous account, it’s probably obvious that due to the content you should be aware of the suitability of it for younger or sensitive readers. Even though McCormick does an astonishingly good job of making it readable, it’s still describing some horrifically brutal events.
Be sure to read the author’s note – it gives the background on how she researched it, and why she chose to write the story as fiction. There’s also a YouTube video with an interview featuring McCormick and Chorn-Pond that’s worth watching – it’s only about 3 minutes long, and I especially liked hearing the music that plays such a pivotal role in his story.
Highly, highly recommended. This is an amazing book.
Publisher’s Description:
This National Book Award nominee from two-time finalist Patricia McCormick is the unforgettable story of Arn Chorn-Pond, who defied the odds to survive the Cambodian genocide of 1975-1979 and the labor camps of the Khmer Rouge.Based on the true story of Cambodian advocate Arn Chorn-Pond, and authentically told from his point of view as a young boy, this is an achingly raw and powerful historical novel about a child of war who becomes a man of peace. It includes an author’s note and acknowledgments from Arn Chorn-Pond himself.
When soldiers arrive in his hometown, Arn is just a normal little boy. But after the soldiers march the entire population into the countryside, his life is changed forever.
Arn is separated from his family and assigned to a labor camp: working in the rice paddies under a blazing sun, he sees the other children dying before his eyes. One day, the soldiers ask if any of the kids can play an instrument. Arn’s never played a note in his life, but he volunteers.
This decision will save his life, but it will pull him into the very center of what we know today as the Killing Fields. And just as the country is about to be liberated, Arn is handed a gun and forced to become a soldier.
Book Details
Title: Never Fall Down: A NovelImage may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Author: Patricia McCormick
Category: Historical Fiction
My Rating: 5 Stars
Buy the book: Print | Kindle | Audible
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You\'re reading Never Fall Down by Patricia McCormick by Sheila Craig, originally posted on The Deliberate Reader on August 12, 2015. If you\'ve enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Sheila on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.