Some stories don’t wait to be
invited, they arrive like a shockwave, refusing to stay buried. “I Was
Pronounced Dead” is one of those stories. It opens not with fiction or
imagination, but with truth so raw and unforgettable that it forces you to
pause. Author Toom Chanda brings forward a childhood shaped by war, loss,
survival, and an unbreakable will that outlived everything meant to destroy it.
Born in the rural poverty of Laos,
raised between cultures, and reshaped by displacement, Toom Chanda understands
the weight of survival better than most. Of Thai, Lao, and Hmong heritage, he
grew up in a world where basic needs were luxuries and safety was never
guaranteed. In 1998, he and his parents arrived in the United States with
little more than hope and the memories of relatives who never made it out.
Today, he writes to honor the people who have shaped him, especially his
mother, and to give voice to the countless families that have been torn apart
by war. With dreams of becoming a movie actor and film producer, Toom views
storytelling not as a career but as a responsibility passed down from
generations before him.
Toom Chanda was born into poverty in
Laos, where access to clean water, education, and daily necessities was a
constant struggle. Of mixed Thai, Lao, and Hmong heritage, he learned early
what it meant to navigate identity across borders and belonging. After
immigrating to the United States in 1998, Toom carried with him the unspoken
stories of his family, stories marked by war, sacrifice, exile, and resilience.
He writes to preserve those memories, honor his mother, and shed light on the
experiences of the Hmong community, who risked everything during the war, only
to be forgotten. Driven by a passion for storytelling, he aspires to bring
these histories to life in films that resonate with audiences worldwide.
In this read, Toom invites readers
into the life of a young girl whose childhood was stolen in a single morning.
Her tenth birthday becomes the day she discovers bodies scattered across the
fields, an image no child should ever face. From that moment forward, the book
carries readers through jungles haunted by soldiers, rivers swollen with death,
and nights filled with terror, hunger, and impossible choices. It is a journey
through the emotional landscape of war, where families are torn apart,
innocence is shattered, and survival becomes an act of defiance.
The deeper the story goes, the more
powerful it becomes. Chanda documents the hidden truths of the Hmong people,
once allies to American forces, later abandoned and hunted. He writes about the
impossible choices families were forced to make while fleeing through the
jungle, including the heart-wrenching moments when silence meant life, and a
single cry could cost an entire group their safety. These scenes are not
written for shock; they are memories etched into the author’s lineage, brought
to light with respect and honesty.
As the narrative unfolds, readers
witness a child swept away by a violent river, families torn apart, and
soldiers whose cruelty feels almost surreal, yet tragically real. And still,
beneath all the brutality, the story pulses with something more profound:
faith, spiritual encounters, and the quiet strength that rises when everything
else has been stripped away.
This book is not simply a memoir; it’s
a legacy. A reminder of the lives lost, the promises forgotten, and the
resilience that blooms in the darkest places. It is a book that asks readers
not only to learn, but to feel, remember, and carry these stories forward.
The book is forthcoming and will be
available on all major digital platforms worldwide. This is a story that
deserves to be heard, and once read, it will leave you changed.