Table of Contents

Author's Note xi

Prologue: Amah Chiem La Aw (Grandmother Who Possessed Good Blood) Kompong Speu, Cambodia, January 2000 1

Part 1 Love

1 Born of Kambu Cambodia, 1975-1979 13

2 Crush Burlington, Vermont, August 1990 29

3 Fish Sauce and Prahok Colchester, September 1990 39

4 A Good Aunt Essex, Autumn 1990 51

5 To Speak or Not to Speak? Winooski Park, Equinox 1990 65

6 Of Worms and Walls Battery Park, October 1990 77

7 No Rapunzel Shelburne, November 1990 87

8 Klutz and Misdirection Manchester, December 1990 97

9 Lulu in the Sky Champlain Mill, April 1991 105

10 A Message in Ma Po Tofu Chapel of Saint Michael's, Spring 1991 117

11 Cupid's Evil Twin Fort Ethan Allen, May 1991 125

Part 2 Healing

12 The Long and Winding Road Vermont, Maine, and Washington, D.C., 1993-1997 133

13 The Girl in the Mirror Washington, D.C., May 1997 149

14 Birthdays Capitol Hill, June 1997 159

15 A New Path Dupont Circle, D.C. July 1997 167'

16 Cow Teats and Five Hundred High School Boys Washington, D.C., September 1997 181

17 Never Silent Scott Circle, D.C., April 1998 199

18 Lifelines Washington, B.C., May 1998 209

19 Exorcist of the Writing Kind D.C. and Cambodia, June 1998-February 1999 217

20 Millennium Orlando, Florida, December 1999 225

Part 3 Double Happiness

21 Srok Khmer Kompong Speu, January 2000 233

22 Khsae Family Line Kompong Speu, January 2000 241

23 Fear of Landing Kompong Speu, January 2000 249

24 Khmer Inheritance Oudong, February 2000 259

25 Somewhere in Time Kompong Speu, February 2000 269

26 The Hills of the Poisonous Trees Phnom Penh, February 2000 277

27 A White Giant Barang in the Village Phnom Penh, March 2000 287

28 A Gathering to Heal Lost Souls Siem Reap, March 2000 307

29 Double Happiness Vermont, August 2002 313

Acknowledgments 323

Bibliography and Sources 327