{"product_id":"the-kings-last-song-or-kraing-meas-9781931520560","title":"The King's Last Song: Or Kraing Meas","description":"\u003cp\u003e Ryman] has not so much created as revealed a world in which the promise of redemption takes seed even in horror.--\u003ci\u003eThe Boston Globe\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Sweeping and beautiful. . . . The complex story tears the veil from a hidden world.\"--\u003ci\u003eThe Sunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Inordinately readable . . . extraordinary in its detail, color and brutality.\"--\u003ci\u003eThe Independent\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRyman has crafted a solid historical novel with an authentic feel for both ancient and modern Cambodia.\u003cbr\u003e--\u003ci\u003eWashington DC City Paper\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Another masterpiece by one of the greatest fiction writers of our time.\"--Kim Stanley Robinson\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRyman's knack for depicting characters; his ability to tell multiple, interrelated stories; and his knowledge of Cambodian history create a rich narrative that looks at Cambodia's killing fields both recent and ancient and Buddhist belief with its desire for transcendence. Recommended for all literary fiction collections.\u003cbr\u003e--\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eArcheologist Luc Andrade discovers an ancient Cambodian manuscript inscribed on gold leaves but is kidnapped--and the manuscript stolen--by a faction still loyal to the ideals of the brutal Pol Pot regime. Andrade's friends, an ex-Khmer Rouge agent and a young motoboy, embark on a trek across Cambodia to rescue him. Meanwhile, Andrade, bargaining for his life, translates the lost manuscript for his captors. The result is a glimpse into the tremendous and heart-wrenching story of King Jayavarman VII: his childhood, rise to power, marriage, interest in Buddhism, and the initiation of Cambodia's golden age. As Andrade and Jayavarman's stories interweave, the question becomes whether the tale of ancient wisdom can bring hope to a nation still suffering from the violent legacy of the last century.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eGeoff Ryman\u003c\/b\u003e is the author of the novels \u003ci\u003eAir\u003c\/i\u003e (winner of Arthur C Clarke and James Tiptree awards) and \u003ci\u003eThe Unconquered Country\u003c\/i\u003e (a World Fantasy Award winner). Canadian by birth, he has lived in Cambodia and Brazil and now teaches creative writing at the University of Manchester in England.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Small Beer Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 09\/01\/2008\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781931520560\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 352\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.15lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.30h x 5.50w x 1.10d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview Citations: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e 07\/28\/2008 pg. 53\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e 09\/01\/2008 pg. 122\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e 09\/01\/2008 pg. 47\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Geoff Ryman","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43673085051061,"sku":"9781931520560","price":17.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/files\/img_2f7603be-3141-4790-a773-a0f29e12d530.jpg?v=1709053548","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/the-kings-last-song-or-kraing-meas-9781931520560","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}