Into the Shadows, I Ran

Tha Chhay's autobiography features the harrowing escapes that brought him from Cambodia to America. He is a "walking miracle" who survived Khmer Rouge's forced evacuation of the cities, escaped their forced labor camps, and became a boy merchant selling and trading items on the borders of Vietnam and Thailand. At sixteen, Tha was able to save up enough gold to hire a guide to lead him across Cambodia's land-mine infested areas to a refugee camp in Thailand. He persevered in the refugee camp for six long years before he was granted acceptance to immigrate to Seattle, Washington. His story delves into the psychology of survival and offers hope for others who need to pull themselves up by their bootstraps, even if their boots have holes and no straps. Tha Chhay's testament to the horrors of the Cambodian genocide offers perspective on the current political turmoil around the world.