About the Book: Set in the fictional town of Kien Svay in 1990s Cambodia, this moving novel follows a ten-year-old girl, Khiev, her trauma-scarred mother Chau Chi, and Captain Holdt, an ex-Nazi soldier burdened by guilt, whose lives intertwine in unexpected ways. Against a backdrop of political turmoil and the lingering horrors of the Khmer Rouge, they struggle to heal and reclaim fragments of themselves. Narrated through Khiev’s innocent yet perceptive voice, the story explores trauma, love, and human connection. As secrets surface and pasts collide, the novel asks whether healing is possible—and what kind of future awaits a child shaped by such a world.