Books 140-146
140. First They Killed My Father, by Loung Ung. I remember watching the documentary based on this autobiography about four years ago, so I knew I was in for an intense story. Ung writes about her tumultuous childhood in Cambodia, and when the Khmer Rouge took over. She was only 5 years old when her family - her parents, her six siblings and she were uprooted from their comfortable middle-class life to becoming refugees on the run. Ung describes weeks of starving when food rations were low, of being recruited to a camp that trained soldiers when she wasn't even 8, and the constant violence and threats she had to navigate. I read that around 2 million were killed during this period. That's horrible enough, but when you are talking about a country where the population was only around 7 million... I have no words. I was moved to tears more than once, and now want to check out her second novel, which focuses on her life in the United States. It's a tough read emotionally, but Ung's story needs to be heard.
141. The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, by Mark Twain. I remember reading this when I was in elementary school and didn't really care for it. I didn't understand why it was considered funny. As an adult, I can appreciate the humor more. This is a story within a story (I note this is a common writing style for this time period), where the narrator reluctantly listens to a long, drawn-out tale while he is looking for information on someone.
142. The Minister's Black Veil, by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Hawthorne is an underrated author, with a talent for writing creepy stories. Here, the local minister shows up one day wearing a piece of black crepe over much of his face. This accessory elicits a horrified reaction from the townspeople. Why he has done this is not revealed until the end, and the reason is unsettling.
143. My Kinsman, Major Molineux, by Nathaniel Hawthorne. A young man named Robin travels to Boston, to look for his prestigious relative Major Molineux in hopes of getting a head start on life. However, his is puzzled and dismayed when many of the townspeople give him the cold shoulder at his queries about where Molineux lives. An excellent short story that keeps you guessing until the end, even with hints throughout.
144. A Horseman in the Sky, by Ambrose Bierce. This tale, set during the Civil War, follows a young soldier, who signed for the Union army despite hailing from Virginia. One day, while on watch duty, he is faced with a difficult choice when he sees a Confederate soldier perilously close to the hidden Union camp. An amazing short story, with a gut punch revelation at the end.
145. Regret, by Kate Chopin. A well-told story, although the ending might not sit well in today's world (personally, I think it can be read a couple different ways). Here, a single, middle-aged woman finds herself reluctantly watching the children for a frantic neighboring mother, who must travel for a family emergency. At first the woman struggles, then adapts, then even begins to enjoy spending time with her charges. When the mother returns, the woman barely has time to register her feelings before the children go back home.
146. The Luck of Roaring Camp, by Bret Harte. This story put me in mind of Little Miss Marker by Damon Runyon or Tokyo Godfathers. It's a bittersweet story, although it does have terms and attitudes that haven't aged well. In the tale, a woman has died giving birth to a baby boy in a mining town full of men. The men decide to take on the care of the baby, and the whole camp transforms for the better. The ending is rather dark, though.