Rebecca Camarena

Virtual Book Tour and Publicity Page

About Carol Gallant

Book Synopsis

Beyond Courage: One Family’s Will to Survive is a fictionalization of a true story of one Cambodian family that was caught up in the nightmare of the Khmer Rouge. Suffering from physical deprivation and psychological manipulation, with death always looming, the survival skills of Namoch and his family were tested every hour of every day. Told by the only son, we witness how Namoch’s youth and coming of age was molded by the horrors and hardships he and his family experienced for almost a decade.

Beyond Courage is an inspiring story of how an ordinary family found strength in each other and themselves that enable them to survive.

Chapter 1

Chapter 1 Book Excerpt

Namoch, jump out and help me push!” I scrambled out of the taxi and ran quickly around to the back. I started pushing with all my seven-year-old strength. Father also started pushing the taxi with the open driver’s door. As we got the taxi moving forward, he quickly jumped in and tried to start it again while I kept pushing. As father was trying desperately to get the engine running, shells were exploding all around us.

            Some shells hit our apartment building too. My school across the street was also hit and I could see flames coming out of the top story windows. As my father’s desperation increased, he shouted, “Namoch! Push harder!” Dad and I pushed and pushed for almost a whole block hoping the taxi would start. We believed the taxi would start if we pushed it fast enough. Finally, the motor coughed and came to life. We both jumped back in the car. My heart was pounding in my ears—it sounded as loud as the shells exploding all around us.

Father speed through the empty streets toward the dock on the Mekong River. I looked out the back window of the taxi and could see flames coming out of our apartment building and my school. Realizing there was nothing to be gained by looking back at the destruction we were leaving behind, I turned to look at where we were going. In no time at all I could see the Mekong River up ahead. As soon as we turned onto the street that ran along the river we saw a ship tied up at the dock.

The ship was evacuating wounded soldiers from the fighting in the north for medical care in Phnom Penh. As we approached the gate guarded by loyalist soldiers, I wondered out loud, “What if they don’t let us in?”

“Stay quiet!” Father exclaimed as he drove the taxi right up to the gate. “Sokhom Luy here on orders from Commander Luy,” he said with a firmness in his voice that shocked me for a moment. “Right this way,” a soldier replied as he gestured to another soldier to unlock and open the gate.

We were almost there! Father drove straight to the gangway. Mother, holding Sovathana, got out of the car. Namom, and I followed, juggling our diverse assemblage of kramas and her precious pot.

One of the gangway guards walked up to dad and said, “Sokhom Luy? We are expecting you, please hurry up and get on board.”

Father replied, “Okay, but what about the taxi? Can we put it aboard?”

The soldier responded, “Sorry Sir, no room on this ship. We’ll send it along on the next supply ship that comes through, Commander Luy’s orders. Leave the keys and we’ll do our best to get it to Phnom Penh soon. Now, please hurry. We need to cast off quickly.”

With the safety of his family holding the highest importance in his mind, Father thanked him and we walked up the narrow wooden gangway and boarded the ship. More heavily armed soldiers directed us to a hold below deck. As we reached the hold, we found out that the ship was very crowded.

Every space was occupied by anxious-looking families huddled together or wounded soldiers on stretchers being attended by a few nurses. Clutching our meager belongings, we searched for a place where we all could sit together for the three-hour-long journey to Phnom Penh. Soon, we found a small space where everyone could huddle together. Mother was carrying Sovathana in a krama tied around her neck that resembled a sling. As she carefully sat down with the pot, I recall wondering to myself, “Why would mother bring along a pot? It must be important?”

Sitting on the floor of the crowded hold, with so many people I didn’t know, I felt a little scared. My anxious feeling intensified when I gazed at the drawn, serious faces of Mother and Father. Still, I could not help but also feel, what only a seven-year-old boy could feel at that point–that this was going to be a great adventure.

As the ship gradually pulled away, the roar and vibrations of the engines increased. Within a matter of a few minutes, we left Kampong Cham City behind and we were traveling downstream with the strong currents of the Mekong River. Just as we were settling in and beginning to feel safe, we heard a rapid gunfire above the ship.

Even though I knew it was dangerous, I was excited by the gunfire and I knew that there would be tracer bullets trying to locate the ship as it sped along. I had heard that tracer bullets almost resembled fireworks and looked beautiful flying through the dark night sky.

Without thinking, I jumped up and ran up toward the door in an attempt to go up to the deck to see the shooting. Dad quickly followed me, grabbed my arm with one hand and pulled me back in an instant.

“Go sit back down now!” He sternly said to me and rapped me on the head with his knuckles. I still recall to this day, whenever I recall that moment, “Do something a little stupid, and your head will get rapped.”

Who is Rebecca Camarena, book coach

I am a book writing and publishing coach. I bring clarity to your writing and simplify the self-publishing process for; authors, entrepreneurs, coaches, health and wellness experts, memoir writers – anyone with a story, a transformation or wisdom to share. I’m also the publicist for Carol Gallant, author of Beyond Courage: One Family’s Will to Survive.

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