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A review by oboe_geek
Music of the Ghosts by Vaddey Ratner
4.0
First, I bought this book simply because of the title and the cover. I really couldn’t pass it up. Then I started reading the synopsis and realized that it covers a part of history I’m not super familiar with and realized it would be a great educational opportunity for me. Around page 20 I realized I was lost, so I went ahead and watched some documentaries concerning Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. I’m glad that I took the time to do that because the rest of the book made a lot more sense and I was able to connect to the characters more. Teera’s grief and pain at coming to Cambodia after this had all occurred is so raw and her understanding of her family is so much more vivid.
The story splits between Teera’s story of a survivor returning and Tun (the Old Musician) who was part of the Khmer Rouge and how the experience changes them both.
This was a very powerful and haunting novel; I highly recommend watching the documentaries (there are lots on youtube) before reading the book if you’re unfamiliar with all of the details of Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge (I know that this wasn’t a subject that we ever covered in high school or college).
The story splits between Teera’s story of a survivor returning and Tun (the Old Musician) who was part of the Khmer Rouge and how the experience changes them both.
This was a very powerful and haunting novel; I highly recommend watching the documentaries (there are lots on youtube) before reading the book if you’re unfamiliar with all of the details of Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge (I know that this wasn’t a subject that we ever covered in high school or college).