Book Review: In Order to Live by Yeonmi Park

An absolute must read. An insight into life in North Korea and how people have managed to escape and adjust to new life.

'I am most grateful for two things: that I was born in North Korea, 

and that I escaped from North Korea.'

Yeonmi Park grew up thinking it was normal to see dead bodies on your walk to school; to be so hungry that you ate wild plants; and for neighbours to 'disappear' without warning. She believed the 'Dear Leader' could read her thoughts - and punish her accordingly.

Aged thirteen, when famine and her father's imprisonment made life unbearable, Yeonmi Park and he family made the dangerous decision to escape North Korea, crossing the frozen waters of the Yalu River into China only to fall straight into the hands of human traffickers.

After nearly two years at the mercy of their Chinese captors, living in a world perhaps even more brutal and dangerous than the one they'd left, Yeonmi Park and her mother risked death once more in another desperate attempt to escape. They fled across the Gobi Desert, following the stars to freedom in the freezing night.

Yeonmi Park tells her astonishing story in full for the first time with bravery and dignity, and even humour. In Order to Live is a testament to the endurance of the human spirit. and an exploration of the risks we are prepared to take in order to be free.

There isn't a single thing about this book that could've been done better. It is detailed and thorough, opens the eyes to North Korea, China, Mongolia, and South Korea, and leaves you with a wanting to learn more about this area of the world.

This book is great value for money and unlike many books nowadays, the quality of the book is definitely reflected in the price in the sense that it's worth every cent.

Cate
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