The Orphan Master's Son

Finished September 2
The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson

This novel follows Pak Jun Do, a boy raised in an orphanage in North Korea, by a father that showed no favouritism, but gave him the story of a lost mother, a singer. Jun Do moves into work as a tunnel soldier, trained to fight in the dark. That role leads him to be chosen to be a kidnapper, stealing people from coastal areas on command by the powers in Pyongyang. The changing demands, and the loyalty tests involved illustrate the uncertainty of life in this country. Jun Do has no family, but is trained by those he works with to change as the demands change, to become what they want him to be. Finally, in the ultimate loyalty test, he becomes one of the country's most exalted military leaders, reporting directly to Dear Leader and stepping into the life of Commander Ga.He lives in Ga's house, works at his job, and lives with his family. He falls in love with Commander Ga's wife and finally learns to true meaning of love. As he does, another story runs parallel, that of an unnamed interrogator who also learns the same lesson as he does his questioning.
This is a story of a country unimaginable to most of us, with characters who lead lives so constricted and dictated that they become merely survival.
While this is a novel, it leads to questions about life in North Korea and about the control and beliefs that are the nature of the lives lived there. Difficult to read at times, brutal, yet with hope, this is a novel that will stick with you.

A Look at North Korea

Finished March 6
Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick
This book looks at the lives of six North Koreans over a fifteen year period that covers the death of Kim Il-sung, the taking over by his son Kim Jong-il, and a devastating famine that killed up to 20 percent of the population. Demick, Beijing bureau chief of the Los Angeles Times, has done thorough research to verify as much of this information as she can. All six of her subjects now live in South Korea and she includes the tales of their escape here as well. The facts of living in North Korea are worse that I'd imagined, and each person's experiences are told with clarify but not without feeling.
This book is worth reading to better understand this country, alienated from the rest of the world more than any other. I found it compelling to read and enlightening.