NEVER FALL DOWN A Boy Soldier's Story of Survival

Few books have been written about the horrors of the killing fields of 1970s Cambodia. Patricia McCormick has changed that with her moving YA novel, based on the real-life story of Arn Chorn-Pond. Narrator Ramon de Ocampo splendidly captures Arn's broken English and mischievous personality, along with his dawning realization that he and his fellow prisoners are NOT going to be returning home in three days’ time. As atrocities mount, de Ocampo vividly portrays the characters’ reactions. Despite the pain of reliving his history, Arn projects hope and optimism. He believes the world is better for learning what countrymen are able to inflict on each other, a lesson that, alas, remains relevant. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2012]