Channtey Heng was born into a poor, broken family in a small village in Cambodia. She always had to fight barriers and discrimination. When she was two years old she was diagnosed with polio in her right leg and now her eyesight is failing. This was around the time that her father left them for another woman, shirking his responsibilities to his family. Her mother was very hurt and had to work immensely hard to look after three children with disabilities as a sole parent. As she grew up, she noticed how often her mother would cry. Her two brothers also had different impairments and they lived in a small house with nothing to eat some days. She overcame her anger and set about changing her family's situation. Later in life, she was able to embark on a writing career after gaining much life experience. This led to the book you have before you. Be Happy and Smile is a series of short stories, beautiful in their simplicity and honesty. They are written to encourage the reader to think deeply about what really matters in life to bring true satisfaction. When you read these stories, not just once but maybe a few times, you are sure to find a smile spread across your face and the faces of those you are reading to. Finding inner happiness and peace is something that has become very difficult in this day and age. May Channtey's stories help you achieve it!