I came across this interesting book recently. It’s called Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea and it’s written by Barbara Demick. What I found most fascinating about it is the depths to which it takes you into the lives of the six people that the narrative is constructed around. This work goes deeper than typical narrative journalism. You’re not sitting on the outside looking in with this one; it will take you into the lives of these six North Korean defectors, and you will feel as if you are right there with them. It’s a remarkable perspective to be given on the plight of the average North Korean.

Many of these stories begin during the reign of Kim Il-Sung, or “The Great Leader” as the compulsory moniker goes. In fact, if a person north of the 38th parellel refers to him by any other name, it’s likely that person will end up in prison. The book illustrates this absurd, 1984 style government imposed conformity with a plethora of examples of average people committing the slightest infractions and ending up doing hard time in prisons reminiscent of Nazi concentration camps. Amnesty International estimates that North Korea holds 200,000 political prisoners in its Soviet-style camps.

But I digress, this book offers a unique glimpse into North Korea because it emphasizes the human aspect of this terrible regime. By following these six defectors throughout their entire lives, you become entrapped in their struggles, and you’re given hope by discovering the remarkable courage these people demonstrate throughout the book. You begin to realize that despite the absurd pressures from the government to conform to their narrow, destructive ideologies, the people remain people, and they behave the way people naturally do. They are shown to be resourceful, resilient, and gritty.

The humanistic approach this book takes has led me to look at this desperate country in ways different from the typical political discourse. It inspires in you a desire to see this situation change, because it draws out the compassion in you. You will learn things about North Korea that will disgust you. You will cry for the masses of starving orphans, the separated families, and the thousands dying in the camps, but you will find hope in the courage of these six defectors. In the end,you will put this book down and yearn for the immediate liberation of the DPRK, and that alone merits untold praise for the author.

A great book — five stars!