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4.47 AVERAGE
4.47 AVERAGE
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
A fascinating story of a young woman’s escape from North Korea.
As one can imagine, this story was heart breaking and inspiring in so many ways that it was a very quick and satisfying read. The material was heavy but the style of writing was not so it was easy to follow and understand.
I highly recommend this book to anyone whose interest or curiosity is peeked by the mysterious livelihoods of North Koreans in the Hermit Kingdom.
Having done some research before settling with my final thoughts, I found there there to be quite a lot of controversy over Park’s account of her journey and the way she represented the lives of North Koreans. This disheartened me quite a bit and having looked her up on social media, I must admit I’m not sure what to believe.
”…it was Park’s ‘ability to treat facts as malleable that has allowed Park to find like-minded allies on the MAGA right’", New Lines Magazine, 2014
Take what you will from that, I always say it’s best to do your own research anyway and make up one’s own mind on these things. The truth is hard to find these days and it feels awful to have doubts about someone telling their own story, especially when it is truly horrific as this is.
But unfortunately, this is the world and the times that we are living in.
An eye opening read, in every way.
As one can imagine, this story was heart breaking and inspiring in so many ways that it was a very quick and satisfying read. The material was heavy but the style of writing was not so it was easy to follow and understand.
I highly recommend this book to anyone whose interest or curiosity is peeked by the mysterious livelihoods of North Koreans in the Hermit Kingdom.
Having done some research before settling with my final thoughts, I found there there to be quite a lot of controversy over Park’s account of her journey and the way she represented the lives of North Koreans. This disheartened me quite a bit and having looked her up on social media, I must admit I’m not sure what to believe.
”…it was Park’s ‘ability to treat facts as malleable that has allowed Park to find like-minded allies on the MAGA right’", New Lines Magazine, 2014
Take what you will from that, I always say it’s best to do your own research anyway and make up one’s own mind on these things. The truth is hard to find these days and it feels awful to have doubts about someone telling their own story, especially when it is truly horrific as this is.
But unfortunately, this is the world and the times that we are living in.
An eye opening read, in every way.
Wow.what an incredible story and an incredible girl. The “North Korean story’ was the most interesting for me. How people were made to tell on their neighbours in order to stop any sort of resistance to the state. Yes, as other reviewers have pointed out, there are holes and ‘glossing over’ of certain things in the escape story. She will be wanting to protect people that helped her of course Even once she reached South Korea she had a terribly difficult time- bullying,discrimination. But what strength of character and determination she has to overcome it all. But I’m left with sadness a) how despotic leaders can get into power and stay there b) how fellow human beings can take advantage of desperate people for their own profit c) I worry about the wider family she left behind.
In 'In Order to Live' we follow Yeonmi Park through what should have been her childhood. First she shares how life was in North-Korea, and how they struggled to survive. Then how and why Yeonmi and her mother escaped, only to have to escape over and over again.
In this book Yeonmi shares her story, including the parts where she felt so much shame about, in order to show the world what is going on in North Korea (and China), and hopefully fuel a movement to help all the people she had to leave behind.
This book hurt so much. I felt proud to see how brave she was, and so happy to see her improve her life bit by bit, but also so incredibly sad that she had to be this brave just to live.
It hurts too, to realize that her story is so recent. That her story is here for me to read BECAUSE she survived, and that there are many, many more who were not that lucky, or are still on their way fighting through similar horrors.
China is still sending back North Korean refugees, and by doing this inflicting so much harm and fueling the human trafficking. The people in North Korea are still trapped and due to the pandemic, again in a very tough spot continuing to struggle with food shortages.
I wholeheartedly recommend everyone to read this book.
I know we all have hardships and worries of our own in this time, but I hope we can keep our eyes open to those of others. And maybe, see how we can do our little bit to help.
In this book Yeonmi shares her story, including the parts where she felt so much shame about, in order to show the world what is going on in North Korea (and China), and hopefully fuel a movement to help all the people she had to leave behind.
This book hurt so much. I felt proud to see how brave she was, and so happy to see her improve her life bit by bit, but also so incredibly sad that she had to be this brave just to live.
It hurts too, to realize that her story is so recent. That her story is here for me to read BECAUSE she survived, and that there are many, many more who were not that lucky, or are still on their way fighting through similar horrors.
China is still sending back North Korean refugees, and by doing this inflicting so much harm and fueling the human trafficking. The people in North Korea are still trapped and due to the pandemic, again in a very tough spot continuing to struggle with food shortages.
I wholeheartedly recommend everyone to read this book.
I know we all have hardships and worries of our own in this time, but I hope we can keep our eyes open to those of others. And maybe, see how we can do our little bit to help.
Brutal for the majority of the book, but incredible. CW for repeated SA.
A few years after escaping North Korea, Yeonmi Park gave a speech in which she described it as “an unimaginable country.” I wish I could be as eloquent in describing this book. But the truth is that I was in a state of speechlessness from start to finish, and in tears at the very end. It is not often that a book makes me cry, and it is not often that I feel really and truly humbled. Yeonmi Park’s story is it. I could praise her courage, her determination and her strength, but I could never do her justice. An incredible story that is, heartbreakingly, all too common for the people of North Korea.
Solid read, would recommend it to anyone hoping to know more about North Korea. As I read it, I had to keep reminding myself that all of this is very recent history. This is still reflective of what's going on in North Korea.
i knew this book was going to be heartbreaking going into it but boy oh boy i did not think it would be this sad with all this poor woman had to endure
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Classism
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Excrement, Abandonment