The main character of the book is Raami, the 7-year old daughter of a Cambodian prince. As a member of the royal family, they would have been immediately targeted for execution if her father hadn't concocted an alternate identity for them. Since he was well-known, however, he admitted his own identity, resulting in his removal from his family and presumed execution. Raami and her family are moved from place to place in the countryside, forced to do manual labor in rice fields and to construct levees. The mismanagement of all aspects of the government and agriculture resulted in widespread famine and millions of deaths. Anyone who was considered educated was targeted for the worst treatment and often assassination. Over the ensuing four years, Raami loses almost everyone important to her. This book tells her story, and by extension, Ms. Ratner's story as well. Much of what occurs in this novel did in fact occur to Ms. Ratner and her family members.
While this story is immeasurably sad, it is beautifully written. I couldn't put it down, and only did so to look up interesting details about the Khmer Rouge and Cambodia to help with the historical context. Ms. Ratner's journey to safety lead her to the United States, and I'm glad she was able to tell her own and others' stories through her fictionalized account of her ordeal. This book is enhanced by the inclusion of an "Author's Note" and "A Conversation with Vaddey Ratner," in both of which she discusses her own story and how it differs from Raami's.
Vaddey Ratner. In the Shadow of the Banyan. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2012. 334 pages. ISBN 9781451657708. Advance Reader's Edition.
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