Nothing to Envy: Real Lives in North Korea

by Barbara Demick

“If you were going to come to South Korea, why didn’t you come sooner?” she asked. Jun-sang was at a loss to answer. At this point in the conversation, Mi-ran was crying and the implications of her words were clear. She was married and had a baby. It was too late.

This is the part of my favourite book that always gets me. It is heartbreaking and sad that a cruel power hungry regime will devour everything including love to survive.