Never Fall Down by Patricia McCormick is a fictional first-person account of a young boy named Arn’s experiences in Cambodia once the oppressive regime known as the Khmer Rouge takes over his country. This National Book Award-nominated novel depicts Arn’s struggles in his own authentic dialect and voice: his struggles to stay alive after being separated from his family, his decision to use music to save himself and others, and ultimately his determination to find his place in American society after his adoption by an American family. The novel’s narrative encompasses themes of deception, desensitization, perseverance, and identity, while its motifs include music and the manipulation of language to control others.
