One step closer…

Angkor Watt, Siem Reap | Cambodia ©mittywrites

MY FATHER

It was cool crisp morning in late June 2013 when I received a phone call from my mother that my father was in the hospital. He had a fever and was not able to swallow any food or water. He had been ill for years, in and out of hospitals suffering from Para supra-nuclear palsy (PSP), a little-known disease that resembles Parkinsons.

This was part of his recurring routine but something that morning felt different, more ominous. It was the swallowing part. It was the looming limited number of days I’d have with him with my upcoming move to Cambodia in less than two weeks. When I arrived at the hospital, my worst fears were realized when the doctor told us to prepare for his final days.

THE PROMISE

As a child, my father shared stories of Cambodia – and all the fond memories of him growing up in the province, to being a Cambodian-French Literature Professor as an adult, to the devastation and loss during the Khmer Rouge. It was the story of Cambodia, his beloved country. My curiosity to learn more and his desire to share our story bonded us. It was his dream (one of many) to share our story with the world. On his deathbed, when he was still conscious I made the promise to my father that the world will know our story.

I moved to Cambodia shortly after the funeral. With grief real and raw, the promise to write our story was always at the forefront of my mind. Being in the country he loved so dearly, but could never live in after the war was a constant reminder that I was living the dream for both of us. I spent the next three years in Cambodia retracing our family’s journey, immersed myself in the country, honed my writing through my blog, and started working on my manuscript. I moved back to the US in 2016 with an unfinished manuscript but continued chipping away.

IT ONLY TAKES ONE…

It has taken me over 10 years to work on my book. I’ve sent it to nearly 100 agents and publishers hoping that they would believe in my story to want to publish my book. I’ve received so many rejections that have told me, “my story is an important one, but not for them. In the competitive world of publishing, I tried to not take it personally, but these rejections tested my belief as a writer and whether I’d fulfil the promise I made my father. But I didn’t give up.

On a tip from one of the book agents I submitted my manuscript to—who loved my book, but it wasn’t a right fit for their list—told me to look at a new Indie imprint called Vine Leaves Press that accepts book submissions from unagented authors. I first submitted to VLP in the summer of 2024 and eagerly awaited their response. A few months later, they informed me that while they loved the book, it needed some revisions before it would be considered for publication. I was excited that for the first time, there was real hope that my book could be published. I worked hard over the next several months to make revisions and resubmitted the updated manuscript. In late September, 2025, I was informed that out of over 1,000 submissions, mine was 1 of 13 manuscripts accepted for publishing.

I’m not sure why I waited this long to share the news. I think part of it is disbelief. I think the other part is, I’m still processing it. My manuscript is over 85,000 words. I’ve worked so long on this book and have gone through countless rejections from agents and publishers. Now, that it has happened, I’m wondering if it is indeed real.

Regardless, I will enter 2026 with hope and gratitude of this opportunity I’ve been given. While the publishing date won’t be until June 2027, I am one step closer to fulfilling the promise I made to my father.