It was her last formal good-bye. She was a leader in and to the Cambodian diaspora community in Minnesota. Her last position before her passing. I miss her tremendously. I have one of the very, very, few, and maybe only autographed copy of her book. She was amazing. I knew her in my youth.

I had a hard time reading the book because it was not... just another story. It hit so close to home. She lived for and was goodness in all of its' meanings. This memoir allows persons from all walks of life to empathize without experience. My mother is also a Cambodian refugee who sought asylum in the United States after the Cambodian genocide of 1975-1979. She did not have as many opportunities as Darina, but from having personally known both people, this book hurt me in so many ways because it became a huge eye opener in regards of the things gone unsaid.

The struggles, the perseverance, the, just, wow of understanding. It is truly hard for me to describe it in a more concise way, but I truly do hope you will read the book, or find a copy. They are hard to find due to the limited number in print. She used her own money in order to put the book out before her passing.

Below is a link to her obituary.
http://www.startribune.com/local/11577541.html