In Order to Live

"Easily my favorite memoir, and one of those books I will carry with me for a really long time. It can be difficult to read (because of heavy content not because the book is lacking) but it's so worth it"

"Incredible story about escaping life in North Korea!!!"

"I’ve read a number of survival stories, but this one is up there for most extraordinary perseverance. Her story of escaping North Korea literally gets worse each step of the way. Highly recommended to anyone with an interest in memoirs, particularly from oppressive countries and regimes. "

"An easy reminder to be grateful for the circumstances in which we grew up. It could have been so much worse such as we read in this book. The worst part is that so many people lived this or very similar experiences. "

"Great read, but hard to take in at times. Especially when she talks about her experiences in China. I commend her so much for telling this story, as I’m sure it isn’t easy to recall these events. "

"Wow. This is the true story of how a very young teen escaped North Korea, survived sex trafficking in China, endured a dangerous journey to Mongolia, and then finally landed in South Korea. Kudos to her instinct for survival and her ability to thrive in her new found freedom."

"I loved her story. It’s so heartbreaking but also eye opening to real issues we have going on in the world right now. "

"This was a highly anticipated read of mine and I was not disappointed. Yeonmi Park's book In Order to Live is an evocative and poignant autobiography of a young girl’s experience under North Korea’s repressive regime and her daunting journey to freedom. It may be a story that knows pain, misery and inhumanity but it simultaneously knows passion, love and perseverance. We perceive North Korea as a developing country controlled by dictators but cannot fathom the realities of its residents which Park sheds light on with vivid imagery and personal anecdotes. At parts, I forgot I was reading about a genuine nation, one that has oppressed its people for generations. The egregious conditions and level of corruption were akin to what I may find in a horrific dystopian novel but this is the reality of some 26 million people. However, the pain that Park describes could never be contrived like that of fictitious works. Her journey to freedom and the mental one subsequent, that led her to share her story with the world is incredibly inspiring and furthermore, the fact that Yeonmi and her mother managed to maintain their humanity and resilience through all the tribulation imposed upon them is truly miraculous. Overall an incredibly important and beautiful account of a North Korean girl’s story of survival. "

"Heartbreaking. It's a real story too which makes the heartbreak so much worse."

"This is a difficult book to review because it is non-fiction and knowing that someone had actually endured all these struggles makes it hard to be unemotional when evaluating the book. However, I will do my best to express my gratitude for this book and hopefully encourage you to read it as well.<br/><br/>This is a remarkable, eye-opening story that really puts into perspective my life growing up in Canada compared to someone in North Korea. I had a base knowledge of North Korean government and Kim Jong Il’s dictatorship, but I did not realize to what magnitude and the horrors that people, especially the women, had to face (and are still facing)! What really hit home for me was reflecting on my own childhood compared to Park’s; we are close in age — me being a bit older — and it breaks my heart to know how intensely different my childhood was.<br/><br/>The Park family, especially her mother and older sister, are remarkable and resilient in depressing and dismal times. A truly amazing story! Prepare for an emotional roller-coaster; you’ll be shocked, astonished, frightened, grateful, and maybe even get a bit weepy. I was constantly pausing my reading sessions to either reflect or take an emotional break –- yeah, sometimes the events explained are that emotionally heavy that you just needed to but the book down and talk a breather.<br/><br/>This is one of those books that I will recommend to everyone because anybody can pull inspiration from it. I strongly encourage you to pick up a copy at your local library or bookstore.<br/><br/><a href="https://myareads.wordpress.com/">Click for More Bookish Inspiration</a>"