Katya Cengel's writing spans a diverse range of subjects, from retired dancing bears in Bulgaria to the world's largest machine gun shoot in Kentucky. Her work delves into the less-traveled corners of the globe, always with a keen eye for the compelling human stories embedded within unusual phenomena. Cengel seeks to uncover universal truths in unexpected settings, offering readers a unique perspective on the vast spectrum of human experience. Her distinctive narrative approach makes the extraordinary feel intimately relatable.
The story of four Cambodian families as they confront deportation forty years after their resettlement in the United States. Katya Cengel weaves their remarkable stories together into a single moving narrative-one that reveals a disquieting cycle of violence, safety, and loss.
The book covers the author's time reporting from the former Soviet Union not long after the fall of communism.