Why read The Girl in the Picture?

Book cover of The Girl in the Picture: The Story of Kim Phuc, the Photograph, and the Vietnam War

Book description

On 8 June 1972, nine-year-old Kim Phuc, severely burned by napalm, ran from her burning village and into the eye of history. Her photograph, seen around the world, helped turn public opinion against the Vietnam War and is one of a handful of images that remain branded in the public…

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Why read it?

1 author picked The Girl in the Picture as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Jessica Frazier

Author

Telling the story of the girl who became an international icon when the Associated Press published a photograph of her running from napalm bombing in her village in 1972, Denise Chong’s The Girl in the Picture offers insight into the day-to-day lives of South Vietnamese villagers who simply wanted to survive. Caught between the U.S.-supported South Vietnamese military and the National Liberation Front, villagers often had family members fighting on both sides of the war, not because of divergent ideological beliefs, but because repressive recruitment efforts left young men no choice but to enlist. Through the eyes of Kim Phuc,…

From Jessica's list on women and the US war in Vietnam.