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tawnath0r's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
tense
fast-paced
3.75
Very solid memoir. Sped through it. Very captivating and honest - learned a lot
fionacashell's review against another edition
5.0
I picked up this book as part of a book club, having not heard of it before. This was an incredible memoir recounting the heartbreaking story of one woman's experience leaving North Korea. Hyeonseo Lee does a fantastic job capturing the chronic anxiety in her life before and after defecting, as well as portraying the humanity of those around her. Would highly recommend for anyone with even a passing knowledge of North Korean life, or anyone who enjoys stories of people triumphing in the face of extreme adversity.
kellygoesgeocaching's review against another edition
4.0
A fascinating memoir on a turbulent life. I'm very interested in the political turmoil of North Korea, especially at the moment, and the depiction in this novel makes me want to help those suffering under the oppressive regime.
emeraldgarnet's review against another edition
4.0
A riveting read that conveys the difficulties North Korean defectors face.
morganzapimp's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
4.5
katiedurham's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.25
arjohnson5623's review against another edition
5.0
"An extraordinary insight into life under one of the world’s most ruthless and secretive dictatorships – and the story of one woman’s terrifying struggle to avoid capture/repatriation and guide her family to freedom."
Terrifying is an astonishing understatement. Ms. Lee's courage and dedication to her family over a decade of struggle and fear left me speechless, and shaken. I know it is a very complicated issue, and not one that I could speak on with any manner of expertise, but I hope that her prediction of a unified Korean peninsula, where people are not faced with the dichotomy of being indoctrinated into the Kim cult or left to rot and die in a gulag, will come true.
I highly, highly recommend this book to anyone interested in human rights issues and learning more about North Korea from such a unique perspective.
Terrifying is an astonishing understatement. Ms. Lee's courage and dedication to her family over a decade of struggle and fear left me speechless, and shaken. I know it is a very complicated issue, and not one that I could speak on with any manner of expertise, but I hope that her prediction of a unified Korean peninsula, where people are not faced with the dichotomy of being indoctrinated into the Kim cult or left to rot and die in a gulag, will come true.
I highly, highly recommend this book to anyone interested in human rights issues and learning more about North Korea from such a unique perspective.
vanesst's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Deportation
Moderate: Police brutality, Death of parent, and Grief