Crossing Three Wildernesses

The first memoir from a pre-Khmer Rouge government official who miraculously survived the Cambodian killing fields.

Death by execution, death by disease, and death by starvation are the three wildernesses Cambodians were forced to traverse during the Khmer Rouge regime. In a harrowing but ultimately triumphant affirmation of the human spirit, celebrated Cambodian poet U Sam Oeur narrates his incredible life story, testifies to the horrors of genocide, and shares his fervent prayers for peace and freedom through the process of democracy.

Crossing Three Wildernesses is a personal account of survival, an astute political analysis, and a beautiful illustration of the Cambodian culture—its people, myths, and traditions. In a world still plagued by the atrocities of war, this remarkable memoir is a moving call to freedom and a passionate plea for peace.

Publication date: May 1, 2005

Format: Trade Paper

Dimensions: 6 x 9

Page count: 320 pages

ISBN: 9781566891671

U Sam Oeur grew up in a Cambodian farming family. After studying in the US, he served in the Cambodian government, becoming part of the Cambodian delegation to the UN. When Pol Pot assumed power in 1975, Oeur, along with his wife and son, survived the killing fields while feigning illiteracy in six forced-labor camps. A devout Buddhist, Oeur now lives in Texas.

Poet and translator Ken McCullough’s recent books include Walking Backwards and Obsidian Point. He has received numerous awards for his poetry including a Pablo Neruda Award, Galway Kinnell Poetry Award, and New Millenium Poetry Award. He translated U Sam Oeur’s Sacred Vows and wrote the lyrics for the chamber opera, "The Krasang Tree," based on Oeur’s poetry and experiences.

“[This] compelling account is a window into the human experience underneath a story often told in terms of incomprehensible statistics.”

—The Star Tribune

“Reading his book is like being there. It is a mixture of Buddhism and democracy. I am very proud of [Oeur's] effort to make the struggles of our country understandable.”

—Dith Pran

“Meticulously honest and clearheaded in that dharmic way, Crossing Three Wildernesses will surely take its place among those books we must read to understand what it means to be fully who we are. This is a truly brave story, shaped and fine-tuned into an engaging and ultimately moving book.”

—Bruce Weigl, author of The Circle of Hanh