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smoran8m 's review for:
A River in Darkness: One Man's Escape from North Korea
by Masaji Ishikawa
This is a tough one. On the one hand, the book is completely compelling. It is the true story of a man whose life is so beset by tragedy and unfairness that if it were a work of fiction it would be dismissed as "too much." You may think you understand poverty at an intellectual level, but Ishikawa brings you to a lower level of poverty. For much of the book, I wondered how any of them survived these unbearable circumstances.
There is a point in the book where he crosses from North Korea into China and I remember feeling elation at that point. I may have cheered! Then I thought, what must be the circumstances of ones' life, that China is the escape to freedom? (This isn't a spoiler (imho) because the title says he escapes and you know he is escaping on the first page of the book.)
On the other hand, the book leaves you with more questions than answers. How was the author able to publish this? How has writing this book impacted his life? Why does he still live in Japan? What happened to his family? Why did his mother agree to go to North Korea? Why did her family disown, not only her, but her children? and many more.
There is a point in the book where he crosses from North Korea into China and I remember feeling elation at that point. I may have cheered! Then I thought, what must be the circumstances of ones' life, that China is the escape to freedom? (This isn't a spoiler (imho) because the title says he escapes and you know he is escaping on the first page of the book.)
On the other hand, the book leaves you with more questions than answers. How was the author able to publish this? How has writing this book impacted his life? Why does he still live in Japan? What happened to his family? Why did his mother agree to go to North Korea? Why did her family disown, not only her, but her children? and many more.