Cambodia, Fall 2023 ~ Read

The Foreigner’s Confession by Lya Badgley was a perfect book to read ahead of our trip to Cambodia. I also suggested it to my book club, and we had the pleasure of meeting the book’s author via Zoom for a discussion, since she lives in WA as well, and is a friend of a coworker of mine. It was a treat, through and through!

The book is focused on healing story of an American expat living in Phnom Penh and volunteering for an amputee organization. She encounters a variety of other expats as well as Cambodians. While the storyline is mostly focused on the protagonist’s experience in Phnom Penh, the reader also learns quite a bit about Khmer Rouge, the infamous S-21 Tuol Sleng prison, the Killing Fields, and the fate of Cambodia’s royal family during the genocide. Some of the book’s events take place around Pchum Ben, Cambodian Ancestors’ Day, which opens up the colorful world of Cambodian Buddhist temples, offerings and all the meaning and tradition involved with the faith and its celebrations.