A review by reka111
In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl's Journey to Freedom by Maryanne Vollers, Yeonmi Park

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.5

Without the whole truth, my life would have no power – no real meaning

I've read or heard about a relatively large number of people who escaped from North Korea, but maybe this was the one that broke me so far.

Yeonmi's story was full of suffering, pain, and endless despair, but at the same time – especially after they managed to reach Mongolia – hope, peace and light appeared in his life. I loved this raw honesty, all the brutality and horror came to life on the pages, I suffered with it. I didn't read it in the original (English/Korean) language, but in my native language, and I think the translation was extremely good, although many people complain that it is not the best wording.

And I don't think she lied, not quite. She may have twisted some of the stories a bit, but she didn't lie. You can't lie about that, nobody would lie about this, not like that. People just forget that when you go through a lot of trauma — an inhuman amount of trauma - it's natural for your mind to forget or change certain things in order to protect itself, but that doesn't mean it didn't happen.

It was fascinating to read about her, truly inspiring. She was, and is, an infinitely strong spirit just like her family. It's incredible what a survivor they are. Normal people — or those living in the outside world — cannot fully understand or feel what perseverance they needed.

I sincerely hope she finds the peace she needs, as do her sister and mother. They have all been through many things, they deserve peace and tranquility.

I hold onto the hope that one day she will be able to bring her father home and lay him to rest in the soil of their homeland.
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