Synopsis:

Human rights activist Park, who fled North Korea with her mother in 2007 at age 13 and eventually made it to South Korea two years later after a harrowing ordeal, recognized that in order to be “completely free,” she had to confront the truth of her past. It is an ugly, shameful story of being sold with her mother into slave marriages by Chinese brokers, and although she at first tried to hide the painful details when blending into South Korean society, she realized how her survival story could inspire others. Moreover, her sister had also escaped earlier and had vanished into China for years, prompting the author to go public with her story in the hope of finding her sister.

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What To Expect:

Yeonmi Park’s memoir tells of her dramatic escape from North Korea. This is a heavy read, as Yeonmi and her mother endured much suffering and trauma.

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Content Warnings:

Language: Mild – Frequent use of “bastard,” one b- word

Sexual Content: Rape, prostitution – while these are not described graphically, it is a prominent part of the story.

Violence: Mild to Moderate – Descriptions of dead bodies & domestic abuse

Substance Use: None

Prejudices: None

Religious Themes: Christian missionaries help rescue Yeonmi, but their message does not accurately portray the true gospel. Yeonmi also looks to tenets of Buddhism.

Other Topics: Parental death. Starvation. Trafficking.

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