Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick Published by Spiegel & Grau on December 29, 2009
Genres/Lists: Non-Fiction, Political
Pages: 294
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“Nothing to Envy: Real Lives in North Korea” by Barbara Demick is such an amazing book! Written by a journalist living in South Korea, it follows the lives of six North Korean defectors from childhood to present day. It weaves a story of loyalty, honor and personal conviction while tossing in some rebellion and acceptance. It’s not a happy story and at parts can be hard to stomach (reality often is), but it is definitely worth reading.
What I liked most about this book is that it tells the story from the point of view of the North Koreans, leaving out judgment, American politics and every preconceived notion one might have going into the book. It is not a book designed to paint North Korea as anything but what the people involved believe it to be. The reality can be, at times, unnerving, but it is refreshing to read about North Korea without the brackets of international judgment around it.
