Scan barcode
A review by marinaemoore
Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick
5.0
This is one of the most interesting books I’ve ever read.
Barbara Demick expertly tells the stories of six North Korean defectors, weaving their personal journeys into what was politically happening at the time. We follow each character’s ordinary lives, learn of what finally convinced them to defect, and of how they did it.
One of the things I found most interesting about this book is that it gives such an ordinary perspective into what life is like for the average North Korean citizen. None of the six are from Pyongyang, the North Korean showcase capital city, which gives the reader a more authentic look at the trials of everyday life in an authoritarian regime.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone.
Barbara Demick expertly tells the stories of six North Korean defectors, weaving their personal journeys into what was politically happening at the time. We follow each character’s ordinary lives, learn of what finally convinced them to defect, and of how they did it.
One of the things I found most interesting about this book is that it gives such an ordinary perspective into what life is like for the average North Korean citizen. None of the six are from Pyongyang, the North Korean showcase capital city, which gives the reader a more authentic look at the trials of everyday life in an authoritarian regime.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone.