My Life According to My Destiny

By: Vanny Vorng

Narrated by: Buddy Hatton

Length: 12 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's summary

My Life According to My Destiny, by Vanny Vorng, a survivor of the Killing Fields, is the story of one man's struggle from his childhood up to the present time. It entails his fight to survive the many brutal events in Cambodia from the Coup d'Etat of 1970, to the fall of the Khmer Republic in 1975, to the Khmer Rouge regime in 1979. The Khmer Rouge Communist Party of Cambodia purged the cities and countryside of intellectuals, rival politicians, monks and teachers. The extremeness of this group lead to a country that had no religion, no free market, no schools, no families, and a closed border. Citizens attempted to hide their old lives from ears within the walls while food became dangerously scarce in the so-called Agrarian Utopia. The new party in charge invented ways of making entire families disappear. Mr. Vorng's story describes the events of each conflict as they unfold, where each time he somehow managed to survive the ordeal to tell the story. After the Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia in 1979, he found a way to provide for his family's needs. Mr. Vorng and his family realized they would be better off leaving the land they called home for so many years. He led his family and friends to the refugee camps in Thailand and the Philippines, after which they were transported to America to start a new life.

©2014 Vanny Vorng (P)2015 Vanny Vorng

Great Audiobook!

Where does My Life According to My Destiny rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is a great audiobook. The voice acting is superb and the story is truly gripping. It's truly a testament to how quickly our lives can change!

What was one of the most memorable moments of My Life According to My Destiny?

The most memorable moment of this memoir was when Vanny's family was running for the border--the refugee camps--and literally being chased by mortar fire.

Which character – as performed by Buddy Hatton – was your favorite?

Though Buddy did a great job on all the characters, I especially enjoyed his rendition of Vanny's dialogue.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

This was definitely a book I did not want to stop listening to, even though I'd already read the book! Buddy does a great job of carrying the listener through the story.

Any additional comments?

I would highly recommend this audiobook to anyone interested in Cambodia's history, personal memoirs, or just plain great storytelling!

Read this story

This book tells a little known history of Cambodia in the 1970’s through the first hand experiences of the Author. The writing lacks polish, but the story is captivating. I highly recommend this book.