Persevere!
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Given the thousands of people who work in NGOs or who volunteer, you'ld think more tales would have been put to paper. Also, given what happened in Cambodia over the last 40 years you'ld expect more travelogue and fiction; sadly there is very little. These two factors alone make the book a required read. The Anderson's have clearly done some important work, they have a fascinating story to tell and their modesty shines. Anybody who has ever been to the mysterious land will feel some connextion. So why only two stars? firstly, much of their history is inaccurate or at least uses some confusing terminology. More importantly, the writing style makes my teeth grate: infested with cliche and lazy turns of phrase, it can be a frustrating book to read. It seems like it was written and edited in a hurry, with no thought for the words being put down. If you perservere, you will find a wonderful story, full of real human feeling, and often quite moving....IF you perservere.
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An enjoyable read about an amazing country
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Having spent several months in Cambodia I wanted to read an up to date account of other peoples' experiences in this fascinating country. I was most pleased to find this book: an account of a doctor couple's two year period as volunteers with VSO in the early 90s. Most other literature on Cambodia relates to the Pol Pot regime and the immediate aftermath. Liz Anderson, a GP, and her gynecologist husband were not quite ready to retire and wanted a change for their last few years as practising doctors. So they contacted VSO and were offered a two year placement in Cambodia's capital, Phnom Penh. The book follows the author's experiences of her time as a doctor in PP, and recounts the highs and the lows experienced. From the day she started right up until their leaving party it's all chronicled and well-written. It also includes an excellent chapter on the rise and fall of the Khmer Rouge explaining the main points well without going into too much political detail. Very easy to understand! The book was sad, amusing and most informative and left me feeling very envious of the Andersons, as they achieved so much in terms of friendships with fellow expats, colleagues, locals and patients, and their achievements as doctors were amazing, yet the author was most modest about them. I would recommend this book to anyone and is a must if you are interested in the Cambodian way of life, or you're interested in being an overseas volunteer whether or not be in the field of medicine. A most refreshing change from the usual tourist guidebook and the Khmer Rouge era of the late 70's.
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