I have mixed feelings about this. Some things just don’t add up. Maybe the publisher has embellished some facts in order to create a best seller, it wouldn’t be the first time.
Yeonmi came from an educated, politically connected family that turned to black market trading during North Korea's economic collapse. After her father was sent to a labour camp for smuggling, her family faced starvation, her mother left them for weeks in search of work.
In 2007 aged 13 Yeonmi and her mother fled to China where they fell into the hands of human traffickers and were sold into slavery before escaping to Mongolia, and eventually made it to South Korea two years later. Her sister had escaped earlier. This is where I started to have mixed feelings. Chinese traffickers rape women, but Yeonmi avoided this because she screamed and kicked. But eventually she agreed to being raped when a big Chinese gangster offered to help her family. The deal involved her being the gangster’s right arm in the human trafficking business - I can understand that happening though. But then another new bigger ganster arrives who kidnaps and tries to rape her. The previous gangster (practically her partner) wants to get her back, and the love triangle breaks when gang wars threaten to start.
In 2007 aged 13 Yeonmi and her mother fled to China where they fell into the hands of human traffickers and were sold into slavery before escaping to Mongolia, and eventually made it to South Korea two years later. Her sister had escaped earlier. This is where I started to have mixed feelings. Chinese traffickers rape women, but Yeonmi avoided this because she screamed and kicked. But eventually she agreed to being raped when a big Chinese gangster offered to help her family. The deal involved her being the gangster’s right arm in the human trafficking business - I can understand that happening though. But then another new bigger ganster arrives who kidnaps and tries to rape her. The previous gangster (practically her partner) wants to get her back, and the love triangle breaks when gang wars threaten to start.
In 2014 she arrived in the USA where she became a human rights activist and rose to global prominence after delivering a speech at the One Young World Summit in Dublin, Ireland — an annual summit that gathers young people from around the world to develop solutions to global problems.
Her speech, about her experience escaping from North Korea, received 50 million views in two days on YouTube and social media, with a current total of more than 80 million.
Her speech, about her experience escaping from North Korea, received 50 million views in two days on YouTube and social media, with a current total of more than 80 million.
As far as the book goes, whether it's all true or not, there is no doubt that North Korea ranks as one of the world’s worst places to be born, and this was 18 years ago when she was only 13. Horrible things happened to people trying to escape - women and children sold, people beaten, raped and tortured, people ate grass, witnessed executions and loved ones starving to death, many just dropping dead in the street. Desperate human beings risk anything to escape.
She was eventually reunited with her sister.
Polly x
Not a nice story at all, even if some of it was 'enhanced.' We are so fortunate to live in the West.
ReplyDeleteI'm forever grateful to be born in the UK
DeleteSeems like "a harrowing read" is an understatement.
ReplyDeleteIt is. It never ceases to amaze me just how cruel some humans can be.
DeleteIt sounds very harrowing indeed. Thank you for the review.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome Michelle.
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