Review | Horrors of Khmer Rouge captured in powerful graphic novel that’s gripping but never gruesome
- Year of the Rabbit is a moving account of one family’s experiences under the murderous reign of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia
- Written, drawn and narrated by a survivor, the graphic novel offers English-language readers an accessible entrée to the horrors of the Khmer Rouge
Year of the Rabbit, by Tian Veasna (trans. by Helge Dascher), Drawn & Quarterly, 4 stars
The Khmer Rouge takeover of Phnom Penh is seen in a new light in Year of the Rabbit, a graphic memoir that follows the journey of Lina, Khim, their son Chan, and their extended family members. Graphic in format, graphic in content, it is a story of resilience and hope, and a profound testimony to one of the greatest tragedies of the 20th century.
On April 17, 1975, young soldiers victoriously enter the Cambodian capital. Dressed in black, red krama around their necks, brandishing AK-47 rifles and accompanied by tanks, they have come to build a new society, free from capitalists and foreign influence. The day, coinciding with the traditional Khmer New Year that marked the start of the Year of the Rabbit, marks the beginning of Year Zero.
Three days after the fall of Phnom Penh, Lina gives birth to baby Chan, the author. The story of his birth sets the tone of the graphic novel. “Chan is the type of tree outside the hut, and Veasna means destiny, in the hope that he’ll have a happy life,” she says.
Lina and her husband, Khim, are helped by a midwife in the middle of the night, in a makeshift shack in Ta Prom village, their first stop after leaving their home in Phnom Penh.
