Harrowing Story a Man in the Clasp of Brutal Khmer Rouge Told in New Non-Fiction, Purging Innocence
Online, July 1, 2014 (Newswire.com) - The Khmer Rouge remains a name synonymous with unspeakable torture, oppression and genocide. Purging Innocence is the true story of one man's torturous journey at the hands of the regime, as related to his sister, author Pauch Khiev. The newly released book is published by Outskirts Press.
On April 17, 1975, the brutal party invaded Cambodia's capital, Phnom Penh, ruthlessly blanketing the city and murdering thousands on its hit list and anyone else who resisted the push to leave. Whole families perished in this atrocious campaign.
San Khiev, an ex-military fisherman, bravely helped his family and friends survive until they were transported to the countryside, where his pregnant wife witnessed him being taken away for "questioning," a situation she knew meant he would never return. San was taken to a prison camp called Wat Thomayuth, a temple taken over by the Khmer Rouge, where they viciously tortured and murdered at least 50 prisoners a day. Rather than "give names" of the innocent during brutal interrogations, San endured brutality most people would not have survived. San staunchly maintained his faith, even when hope seemed unfounded. Day after day, for months, he miraculously escaped death and, to date, he is the only known survivor of this prison camp.
Purging Innocence is the heart-rending, inspiring and true chronicle of a family uprooted from a comfortable life in a prosperous and thriving country and dragged into the horror of one of history's most tragic and shameful regimes, to a new but challenging life abroad. Through stories told by San's sister Pauch, readers will witness the full horror and despair of these times, along with remarkable courage and the astonishing resilience of the human spirit.
Purging Innocence is available online through Outskirts Press at www.outskirtspress.com/bookstore. The book is sold through Amazon and Barnes and Noble for a maximum trade discount in quantities of 10 or more, and is being aggressively promoted to appropriate markets with a focus on the non-fiction, history and Asia categories.
ISBN: 978-1-4787-2482-7 Format: 5.5 x 8.5 paperback cream Retail: $18.95
Kindle: $9.99 Nook: $9.99 iPad: $9.99 eBook: $5.00
Genre: Non-Fiction/History/Asia
For more information about Purging Innocence, visit the book page at the author's webpage, www.OutskirtsPress.com/purginginnocence.
About the Author: Pauch Khiev was born in Moung Ruessei, Battambang, Cambodia, in the midst of the Khmer Rouge regime, and immigrated to the United States with her family in 1981. She studied film production in college with a dream of making movies, including a film she hopes to make someday about her family. She is a self-taught singer, keyboardist, artist and poet. A true "handywoman," she also enjoys DIY home-improvement projects and gardening. To her friends and family, she's known as a great chef at her "Hit or Miss Restaurant," her home kitchen. For more information about Pauch Khiev or her book, contact the author at Pauchkhiev@hotmail.com or at www.facebook.com/purginginnocence
