In Order to Live by Yeonmi Park

Synopsis: Personal testimony escaping North Korea

Writing Style:  Soft, but Direct Vivid Storytelling. 

Pacing: FAST!

Personal Highlights: A little over ten years ago I read ‘Nothing to Envy’, a collection of narratives edited by Barbara Demick. This was my initial familiarity about North Korea. Yeonmi however, born in 1993, memorializes a protracted view of what living in vast darkness, under a caste system, was like for her and her family. From the brainwashing, to the culture, explaining how an entire country, or at least those at the lower end of the country’s caste system, lived without electricity… so no phones (cellphones or otherwise), and no access to TV, radio, Internet, books and such (excluding communications about/from the leader, or what was smuggled in), is still rather glaring, given we’re not talking the 18th, 19th or 20th century even. This is the 2000’s. 

Overall, 'In Order to Live' is straightforward, and the pacing is fierce! Mother and daughter’s escape to China (in particular) is where not only the title is explained, but where Yeonmi’s grit and resolve shines. She learns how “to feel…” as she knew no ‘I’, ONLY ‘WE’, which fortuitously purveys the pros and cons of 'we' type thinking... and its impact on, not only people, but the country. Reading how she came to understand (and differ) between God and Jesus nonetheless tickled me, and was glad to laugh out loud with mom and daughter as they learned other new things such as, the refrigerator turning ‘itself’ on, and thinking perfume was breath spray. All this, and yet what I found personally relatable, was the way Yeonmi described how reading made her feel!!! Oh Man! That was a beautiful spot to land on. Humanitarians, women, and really anyone seeking an understanding of culture, societies and modern human trafficking will be enlightened by this testimony. Highly recommended. Read copyright 2016 edition.