“In Order to Live” is a page-turner through and through. Every chapter pulls you deeper into a shocking and heartbreaking story.
Yeonmi Park is a North Korean defector. Her memoir tells the story of what it took to escape the country that deprived her of freedom and what was waiting for her on the other side.
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It also shines a light on the repression millions of North Koreans faced then and now.
Park’s journey to freedom began in 2007 at 13 years old. She recounts unimaginable challenges on her dangerous trek through China after fleeing her native country.
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Park shares the painful story of her and her mother being sold into sexual slavery in China.
Two years after leaving her homeland, Park made it to South Korea. She tried blending into its society, but it was hard to suppress the misery of her past.
It was when she divulged her survival story that she felt a sense of relief and inspired others along the way.
I chose this book for the book club I lead after receiving it as a recommendation. I have no regrets. Often, my group gravitates toward romance novels and other fiction stories.
It was refreshing to step outside of our comfort zones and read a book that led to thoughtful discourse.
After completing the very last page and wiping a tear from my eye, one word came to mind. That word is, “Grateful.”
It’s so easy to get caught up in your own life. It’s so easy to complain about the simplest of problems, like being sleepy or antsy because it’s been three months since your last vacation.
When I closed the book and ruminated on the heartrending details, I realized many of us, including myself, should complain less and consider the many challenges people face globally.
If possible, we should find a way to help, even if from a distance.
The author, Yeonmi Park, turned her pain into passion. She’s now the leading voice for oppressed people worldwide.
She advocates for victims of human trafficking in China and continues to promote human rights in North Korea and around the world.
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