This was a tough read. I had to put it down several times.

That's not to say it was badly written or bored me to tears. If I had a solid weekend, I could have devoured it in a single night.

I had to put it down to cry.

I knew going in that Under the Naga Tail by Mae Bunseng Taing with James Taing was a memoir about surviving during and escaping from the Cambodian genocide. And I went in knowing about the Khmer Rouge and work camps and even Camp 007. It just doesn't get easier to digest.

The Khmer Rouge ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979 under Pol Pot who wanted to create a communist agrarian utopia. As a result, millions of people died from starvation and overwork in communes. That is if they weren't executed for being an intellectual first. And intellectuals were a broad category including teachers, writers, artists, businessmen, and more.

Mae's family were businessmen.

While the family was able to avoid execution, they were unable to avoid being relocated and being forced to work in communes. Many times they were able to reunite, only for more hardships to fall upon them.

One of Mae's driving motivations was his father. While his siblings had their own families to worry about, Mae had his father.

*The next line is technically a spoiler*

So when he has to leave his father, everything hurts. I bawled. And when he received news that his father died without even hearing that they had made it to American I bawled again. I bawled so hard my face hurt.

*End Spoiler*

The fact that Mae had so much filial piety makes James' undertaking of preserving his father's story all the more meaningful. In general, transcribing a memoir such as this is a huge undertaking. Working through a parent's locked away sorrows and an entire country's trauma is a herculean effort.

I don't often buy hardcover copies of books I've already read, but this one is going on my bookshelf.

Under the Naga Tail by Mae Bunseng Taing with James Taing came out February 7, 2022, so you can get it right now! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. And thank you to Mae and James.

-Maddie

This book is very important to educating the world about the horrors inflicted on the country of Cambodia in the 1970s. Of course, I was familiar with the Khmer Rouge and their oppression and genocide of the Cambodian people but reading a first-hand account of this period in history was eye-opening. Mr. Taing’s story is hard to read because it’s almost unbelievable that so many terrible things happened to him and his family. He gives a detailed account of each step of his journey over five years as a young man from fleeing Cambodia to Thailand and back and forth to and from labor and refugee camps and his treacherous trek across a mountainous minefield that had me on the edge of my seat. The years of starvation, slave labor, torture and danger on every journey that this family suffered is mind-boggling. This is an incredible survival story and an important one that needs to be told.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Greenleaf Book Group for my copy of Under the Naga Tail by Mae Bunseng Taing in exchange for an honest review. It publishes today, February 7, 2023.
This was such an informative book. I had never heard of Pol Pot or anything that happened in Cambodia in the 1970's. I had never learned about any of these terrible tragedies and human rights violations. It is so important that this story was shared, because people need to know.

I found this a difficult book to read, but the courage and fight for survival of this young Cambodian man is ultimately an uplifting ode to his strong spirit. The portrayal of genocide is accurate and brutal, amazing book!

Heart wrenching yet inspiring book based on a true story.

I went into this book not knowing too much about Cambodia’s genocide by the Khmer Rouge. And wow. Very eye opening to the struggles of the Cambodian people and testament to what they went through to survive. I’m coming away with a better knowledge of history, appreciation for the Cambodian people and inspired to spread the word about this important book.

Beautifully written book. First hand account that documents such an important time in history that we don’t hear about often enough. Many books are written about the Holocaust but very few are written about what the Cambodians and Laotians endured at the hands of the Khmer Rouge. I personally never learned about this in school (that I can recall) despite growing up in a city that was a resettlement city for thousands of Laotians. My hope is that with this book others can learn about the atrocities suffered by millions at the hands of the Khmer Rouge to be more aware that suffering has occurred throughout history, more than just during WWII. 1975 was not that long ago and it’s important to remember how recently this occurred. Very important read! Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy!

This is a hard book to read and not for the queasy. I did not know much about the Cambodian genocide but this story of the bravery and will to survive was an eye opener. The book stayed with me for a long time after finishing.

This book was a hard book to read. I don’t mean it was poorly written but the subject matter was hard to absorb because what happened to the author and so many others was brutal and inhumane. I will admit I didn’t know much about the Cambodian genocide that happened in the 1970’s before reading this book and this glimpse at one person’s experience was sickening, but I am glad to be better informed. I love that this memoir was written by the survivor with his son’s help. So much of the book was around family and supporting loved ones even when you had nothing yourself so for the father and son duo to tackle this massive project together was fitting. I’m not surprised it took a long time to write because there is so much pain and trauma inside these pages. An inspiringly honest glimpse at the worst horrors the author has faced. Mae’s struggles to survive and escape were inspiring. Definitely a book to read, but be prepared for the emotional kick.

This book is a first hand account of the horrors of the Cambodian genocide that occurred in the 70s. I honestly knew nothing of this time period in history going into this book and the accounts of the horrible things that Mae Taing and others endured were hard to read at times.
The book was well written and an inspirational story of overcoming great obstacles to survive.

This is a very remarkable story how this boy may T ANG survive. He had a very good life with his family and treating and stuff like that but when the camera rules came his life changed dramatically He had to go under a lot of hardships but he faced it willingly but he always kept his father in his mind and always makes sure he got back to his father somehow. They were treated Treat it very badly because they were Chinese. I can't believe how anybody could survive this going through Marsha's no food worrying about your family. His family was very important to him and they pretty much try to all stay together but they lost one member the little boy. He was taken away from his family and put in his camps which were very harsh conditions but we somehow survived. Even made it back one time to see his father because he knew his father was very ill. Then they made it to time Try Thailand. This was a really good camp they finally had some food You're trying to survive in this camp as well I think I'm very now at this photographer who was Chinese and they told him to go away. Then Thailand also turned on them as well. I could not believe what these people went on in this mountain you must be very long to survive in your brain because there is nothing else you could do at this point You lost some of their family members. But this turned out to be really good Because they managed to America and everybody eventually had a sponsor to go there. This is a really good book to read about the camera rouge and how they really treat it people. You don't actually hear Chinese people going through this but they did

This book is a first hand account of the horrors of the Cambodian genocide that occurred in the 70s. It is well-written, detailed, and quickly paced. But the nightmare the author and the people of Cambodia endured was tough to take in — many times I had to pause and decide if I wanted to keep going because the descriptions of the torture, starvation, loss, and grief were so shattering. The strength it must have required to live through these events is unfathomable to me. I can’t even begin to imagine the emotional fortitude that was needed to relive them again in the telling of them. I am glad I read it and I am thankful Mae Taing and his son, James, persevered and brought this story to the world. The Cambodian genocide is not often talked about today, at least not in our part of the world. Yet these atrocities and the people that had the strength to survive and even go on to thrive should not be forgotten.

An important story that sheds light on a genocide not often spoken of. This gripped me from almost the very beginning. The strength and will to survive are astounding. My mom lived in LA in the late 70’s/early 80’s and has always spoken of Cambodian refugees. I get it now. I won’t be forgetting this any time soon.

I watched the documentary Ghost Mountain (2019) featuring Mae, right after I put the book down. Really sending shivers down my spine of how real everything I just read was!
What an incredible story of bravery and human survival. I was mostly in the dark about the history of Cambodia in the 70s but reading Under The Naga Tail really opened my eyes. (No, I have never seen The Killing Fields-but I will be renting it shortly).
The unthinkable events Mae goes thru are truly disturbing. It's hard to imagine this happening only 40 something years ago.
It was hard to put the book down, as I had to know how Mae and his family survive. The 3 part layout to the story was perfectly timed, with helpful maps for reference.
I totally recommend this book!
Thank you, Netgalley, publisher, and author for a free copy.

An inspirational and courageous book that clearly shows how far and how much the body and spirit can take when there is hope, boundless determination, and a belief in a just world. Under the Naga Tail is a story that takes readers deep into the history of the Cambodian genocide. Bunseng Taing tells the story of when his large family was forced by the Khmer Rouge to leave their homes. They become homeless refugees sent to concentration camps where they suffered from beatings, starvation, poverty, and illness. Finally, after five years of barely surviving, and hoping to escape the brutality inflicted upon them, they make it to America where they feel safe and build new lives.

During a time when refugees were welcomed in the U.S., Bunseng's family received help and settled there, thankful to America for their new lives. This horrible period in history, along with the thousands of innocent lives that suffered and died during those years, is a time that should never be forgotten. I am thankful for Bunseng Taing's story.