Excerpts

From Chapter One – A Mystical Path to Motherhood
Enter a little puff of smoke.
As the sun finally set on the summer solstice that year, we stood before the snapping pine in the fire pit, about to enter the sweat lodge again -- only this time with no demands for a solution. An energetic healer had told us to make the list, burn it and have faith. On that paper was written our wishes for a child... more >>

From Chapter Three - The Chicken House
A swarm of colorful, teenage girls greeted our table, each wearing a sash from shoulder to hip with the logo of a different beer company -- red for Angkor, green for Hennessy, orange for Tiger. A girl in a black and gold uniform offered cigarettes and one in purple offered French wine. A small boy in dirty shorts pointed to my shoes, while a dutiful young girl held out a plate of white jasmine flowers... more >>

From Chapter Six – Half Moon Cake
There are no pictures of Srey Pau; she exists only in the memory of her family. The memories are of a skinny little girl who complained too much, refused to follow directions, and incessantly demanded to wear pretty things. She was a perfectly normal three-year-old whose contrary toddler-ness intensified as she began to starve... more >>