Summary

Section 2 contains the chapters “Seven-Day Walk,” “Krang Truop,” “Waiting Station,” and “Anlungthmor.”

“The Seven-Day Walk” is the first chapter in this section, describing the Ung family’s journey into the countryside on foot, as they flee from Phnom Penh. When Loung awakes in the morning, she hears of an incident in which her brothers Meng and Khouy walked to a nearby temple in search of a well to fetch water for the travellers, but instead they found Khmer Rouge soldiers in the temple and were told to turn back. Others, similarly in search of water, who disobeyed the soldiers’ orders were shot.

It is the third day of their walk and Loung experiences a breakdown and sobs when she is told that despite what the soldiers had stated back in Phnom Penh, the third day...