In the Shadow of the Banyan by Vaddey Ratner

In her compelling debut, Vaddey Ratner paints a vivid picture of great loss, tragedy and hope during the Cambodian genocide of the 1970s.

By Gillian Berner

Updated November 2, 2012

In her compelling debut, Vaddey Ratner paints a vivid picture of great loss, tragedy and hope during the Cambodian genocide of the 1970s. With stunning imagery and poetic grace, Ratner fictionalizes her own personal journey of endurance through the innocent and imaginative eyes of the novel's lovable seven-year-old heroine, Raami.

In the Shadow of the Banyan, $20

GET CHATELAINE IN YOUR INBOX!

Subscribe to our newsletters for our very best stories, recipes, style and shopping tips, horoscopes and special offers.

FILED UNDER:

book review book club

Copy link

The cover of Chatelaine magazine's spring 2025 issue, reading "weekend prep made easy"; "five delicious weeknight meals", "plus, why you'll never regret buying an air fryer"; "save money, stay stylish how to build a capsule wardrobe" and "home organization special" along with photos of burritos, chicken and rice and white bean soup, quick paella in a dutch oven, almost-instant Thai chicken curry and chicken broccoli casserole in an enamelled cast-iron skillet

Subscribe to Chatelaine!

Want to streamline your life? In our Spring 2025 issue, we’ll show you how—whether it’s paring down your wardrobe, decluttering your messiest spaces or spending way less time cooking thanks to an easy, mostly make-ahead meal plan for busy weeknights. Plus, our first annual Pantry Awards.