Reviews

In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl's Journey to Freedom by Yeonmi Park, Maryanne Vollers

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the_sunken_library's review against another edition

5.0

"North Korea is an unimaginable country..."

This is how Yeonmi Park began her speech to what she described as room full of United Nation Youth Leaders. This book tells the brutal and honest truth (her truth) of her upbringing and eventual escape from North Korea with her mother, the death of her father and finding her sister once again, lost for over 5 years.

I know little of North Korea - only what I have seen on Western News of its oppressive regime and delusional leadership. I am no stranger nor am I ignorant to Western propaganda and its insistent need to constantly denounce Communism. However, I do not believe like some other reviewers have suggested or the North Korean government announced, that this unbelievable story is in fact lies told to perpetuate the notion that only Capitalist regimes can benefit their people. Some reviewers have suggested that simply because this story is shocking it can't be true, that it didn't happen to them so it didn't happen to Yeonmi. That she changed her story too often. Well sorry. That is what the victim of abuse does. They tell one truth - first to themselves, then to the world. Then as they become braver and acknowledge the reality of what happened to them a new truth is revealed. Sometimes this can happen multiple times depending on the brutality of what happened. Sometimes the whole truth is never revealed and is taken to the grave.

I found Yeonmi's memoirs raw and totally and utterly believable. A repressive regime would want you to doubt her as it serves their purpose. I don't judge North Korea on her words alone I judge it on its actions (starving its people, executing dissenters, threatening superpowers with nuclear war) and the complete utter nonsense spewed forth by it's clearly insane leader - a man who hospitalised himself because he ate too much cheese. A leader raised to believe he is an immortal and that his people serve him and him alone.

This book is necessary. To read it is necessary in order for us all to face the reality of what is happening in North Korea, our contribution to it and stop us from continuing to turn a blind eye to the suffering of it's people. I hope Yeonmi continues her work and furthers the fight for the freedom of her people.

The last words I must give to her alone...

"Thank you for believing in me. There were times when I had lost my faith in humanity, but you have heard me. You have cared. And this is how, together, we begin to change the world."