When Broken Glass Floats

For a brief time, Athy’s life is somewhat stable, though they are still starving. Soon, however, her sisters Chea and Ra are sent to another camp, and her sister Ry stays at the hospital, pretending to be ill and sharing her rations with the family. Her brother Than, only 13, returns from a labor camp, and for a while he supplements their meals by fishing. However, her sister Avy’s edema gets worse, and Ry takes Avy to the hospital with her.

Avy dies at the hospital, and her “death cements [Athy’s] determination to live” to “search for edible leaves, toads, mice, crickets, whatever” she needs “to stay alive” (179). Avy’s death devastates Ry, who turns to Buddhism for spiritual comfort, hoping that Avy will be reincarnated as her child.

Mak and Athy grow increasingly ill with edema and then with malaria. Ra returns to care for them, bringing malaria tablets. Mak and Athy improve, and then Chea returns as well. She brings food, having finally figured out how to compliment and humor her supervisor. She is allowed to rest with them because she has injured her foot.

In 1977 the family is moved to a new hut with more space.