After over thirty-years of searching, Ravuth at last feels hopeful. 
Recalling the last time he saw his parents and mischievous younger brother at his village, when the Khmer Rouge herded them off like animals, along with the rest of the villagers, he can only imagine what they have been through. 

This thrilling, unpredictable, yet sometimes hilarious quest, takes you from the fashionable London restaurant scene to the wild, untamed jungles of the Cardamom Mountains, where an English baker helps a Cambodian refugee searching for his missing family and an elusive plant, the source of an exquisite spice.

The Spice

Daybreak over the village brought in a new day of challenges for the jungle’s daytime dwellers. Animals, birds, and insects went about their daily ramblings in this harsh environment. A family of jungle fowl wandered into the village clearing but the panicked chicks quickly scurried back into the jungle when Ravuth clubbed their mother’s head and took the bird to the cooking pot. 


 They’d all had a restless night. Ravuth dozed on and off on the steps, still unable to comprehend the events of the previous day. Cake couldn’t sleep, apart from the uncomfortable floor, he worried about Ravuth, occasionally going outside to speak with him and stretch. 


 “After we eat, we can go back to the clearing and bury Anni,” said Ravuth, sounding dismal. “I saw a spade in the communal hut.” 


 Cake nodded, took a spoonful of vegetable broth, and said, “We then need to go to Phnom Penh and inform the authorities about Anni and tell them about Jed’s involvement.” 


- A Terrifying Encounter -