Masaji Ishikawa was born in Japan to a Japanese mother and Korean father. Life is hard - the family is poor and his father is abusive to his mother. In 1960, the family move to North Korea, lured by the promise of a living a good life in a socialist utopia where their children will receive a free education. soon after their arrival they realise they have been misled and life in North Korea is harder than anything they have ever known. As Japanese returnees, they are deemed to be of the hostile class in North Korean society and as such there is no hope of a good education for Masaji and his siblings or decent jobs. This memoir recounts Masaji's experiences and struggle for survival for over 30 years in the most hostile and bleak of circumstances. Finally, Masaji escapes and returns to Japan without his family. This is an incredibly harrowing read but highly informative as to the conditions in North Korea. For a time Masaji worked on a collective farm and I found his insights into the reasons for food shortages and eventual famine especially informative. Recommended for anyone looking to gain a deep understanding into life in North Korea but, be warned - although Masaji manages to return to Japan there are no happy endings here.