War collides with one boy's imagination in the depths of the Cambodian jungle. An intense, hard-hitting novel inspired by a true story.

Eleven-year-old Saravouth divides his life in Phnom Penh between his family, school, and his "Inner Kingdom," an imaginary land founded on his mother's tales and his own observations. Passageways between his Inner Kingdom and the "Outer Empire" can be found anywhere. But one day, war comes knocking at his door and the Inner Kingdom’s foundations begin to quiver. Saravouth and his family are led to the forest by a man in a blue suit and two heavily armed young soldiers. Wounded and separated from his loved ones, Saravouth seeks refuge in the jungle. He will have to survive in a country plagued by chaos, driven by his fierce desire to be reunited with his family.