Putsata Reang is an author and journalist. Her writings have appeared in The New York Times, Politico, The Guardian, Ms., and The Seattle Times, among other publications. Born in Cambodia and raised in rural Oregon, Reang has lived and worked in more than a dozen countries, including Cambodia, Afghanistan, and Thailand. When Reang was 11 months old, her family fled war-torn Cambodia, spending 23 days on an overcrowded navy vessel before finding sanctuary at an American naval base in the Philippines. Holding what appeared to be a lifeless baby in her arms, “Ma” resisted the captain’s orders to throw her bundle overboard. Instead, on landing, she rushed her baby into the arms of American military nurses and doctors, who saved the child’s life. The story became a family legend. Over the years, Reang lived to please Ma and make her proud, hustling to repay her life debt. But her adoration and efforts were no match for Ma’s expectations. And when, at 40, tells Ma she is finally getting married – to a woman – it breaks their bond in two. Ma and Me: A Memoir (MCD) explores the long legacy of inherited trauma and the crushing weight of cultural and filial duty.