rachel_abby_reads's review against another edition
4.0
"The Kims rule by making everyone complicit in a brutal system, implicating all, from the highest to the lowest, blurring morals so that no one is blameless. A terrorized Party cadre will terrorize his subordinates, and so on down the chain; a friend will inform on a friend out of fear of punishment for not informing. A nicely brought-up boy will become a guard who kicks to death a girl caught trying to escape to China. . . Ordinary people are made persecutors, denouncers, thieves. They use the fear flowing from the top to win some advantage, or to survive."
This book is exactly what the title says: a North Korea defector's story. Her journey, and her struggle to bring her mother and brother out of North Korea as well. She encounters corruption, evil, bondage as well as kindness, generosity, and love.
The irony is that she didn't leave North Korea for the animating quest for freedom. It started by accident. She snuck out, a lark before she turned 18 and a prank became a crime with heavy consequences. But after a month out, as she's guiltily preparing to return home, her mother calls to say "Don't come back. We're in trouble."
Hyeonseo Lee has an amazing story to tell about her time as an illegal immigrant in China, her efforts to get to South Korea to seek political asylum, and the final push to bring her mother and brother to South Korea. As you read, you can't help but see that there was truly some divine intervention in her journey. So many times, it could have ended so badly.
This book is exactly what the title says: a North Korea defector's story. Her journey, and her struggle to bring her mother and brother out of North Korea as well. She encounters corruption, evil, bondage as well as kindness, generosity, and love.
The irony is that she didn't leave North Korea for the animating quest for freedom. It started by accident. She snuck out, a lark before she turned 18 and a prank became a crime with heavy consequences. But after a month out, as she's guiltily preparing to return home, her mother calls to say "Don't come back. We're in trouble."
Hyeonseo Lee has an amazing story to tell about her time as an illegal immigrant in China, her efforts to get to South Korea to seek political asylum, and the final push to bring her mother and brother to South Korea. As you read, you can't help but see that there was truly some divine intervention in her journey. So many times, it could have ended so badly.
aylacommet's review against another edition
5.0
Awesome and Eye opening
This book was so eye opening and inspiring. More people need to learn about this story. She tells it so well and I could not put it down. It also is nice to see that there are good people in the world.
This book was so eye opening and inspiring. More people need to learn about this story. She tells it so well and I could not put it down. It also is nice to see that there are good people in the world.
guardianang's review against another edition
4.0
I listened to this one. I feel like the narrator kept me from giving it five stars. That's completely personal to me, because it was an excellent book and it's amazing to contrast it with "In Order to Live" by Yeonmi Park. It's interesting that these two North Korean defectors had very different experiences within a very similar time frame. I prefer Park's book, but I recommend reading them both.
aovenus's review against another edition
5.0
What an incredible account of growing up in North Korea and the struggles defectors face after they escape. It is incredibly informative and educational, and yet not at all boring as you would expect. Definitely a book I would recommend to everyone.
sinisa's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely amazing story loved reading it so much. You need to read this and if you need a gift for someone and you need a book which will leave them breathless this is it.
kellyann_'s review against another edition
5.0
Harrowing. Everyone should read this and hear this brave girls story.
katiebromley's review against another edition
5.0
The Girl with Seven Names was an extremely powerful memoir about the life of a woman who was born and raised in North Korea and who eventually defected. She ran into so many obstacles on her path to a free life. I felt deeply for her as she described the greed of the people she met along the way, her sadness over missing her family, and how easy it was for people to take advantage of a person who is in a compromised position the way she was. It was also incredibly uplifting hearing about the people who helped her out of the kindness of their hearts.
It is easy to get in a habit of dwelling on the things that are not going well and lose gratitude over the everyday things we take for granted living in America, but this book really made me stop and think about how lucky I am relative to so many others in this world.
It is easy to get in a habit of dwelling on the things that are not going well and lose gratitude over the everyday things we take for granted living in America, but this book really made me stop and think about how lucky I am relative to so many others in this world.