Yeonmi is a North Korean defector and human rights activist who in 2007, at the age of 13, managed to flee to South Korea with her mother.
In this harrowing book, she narrates her long journey to freedom. She shares such an intimate story in an attempt to find her lost sister, who had also escaped North Korea at an earlier time. The first part of the book walks the reader through life in North Korea, giving an overview on local customs, the educational framework, the Songbun (ascribed status) system and how people managed to survive through famines. In the second part of the book, the story evolves very quickly and dives in into their journey to salvation. Along with many other North Korean defectors, they suffer physical and mental abuse, are sold into sexual slavery in China and are forced to hide and lie about their names and past. Notwithstanding the hindrances encountered in China, Yeonmi managed to arrive in South Korea with her mother, reunite with her sister and start a life of freedom.
Prepare a pack of tissues close to you: my heart broke many times throughout the book. I think that all of us should read it to grasp the importance of the great privileges we have in life. Yeonmi and I have the same age and, despite that, she has already lived through experiences that are almost unimaginable to me. It was painful learning her story and, even more painful, thinking that other people are probably going through something similar but without a happy ending. Her testimony is gold.