In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl's Journey to Freedom
- Downloads：7202
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-06-16 00:31:31
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Yeonmi Park
- ISBN：014310974X
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Annie Allen
，
A peek inside the life of a girl and her family in communist North Korea。 And their unbelievable escape。 And surviving the many abuses along the way。 Captivating， sad and inspiring！ Easy to read。
yasuko
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So good。 So good。 SO GOOD。 Hopefully I’ll come back with a better review because I literally have no words。
Michele
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Simple and easy to read yet oh so hard to read at the same time。 What a journey！ It is incredible what some people have to do to survive。 She chose a very appropriate title。 She didn't spare us in the telling of her journey either。 And she shouldn't。 Change will only happen if we talk about these things。 Simple and easy to read yet oh so hard to read at the same time。 What a journey！ It is incredible what some people have to do to survive。 She chose a very appropriate title。 She didn't spare us in the telling of her journey either。 And she shouldn't。 Change will only happen if we talk about these things。 。。。more
Jenn
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Truly inspiring！
Kari
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Wow！ What a journey this woman has had in her young life。 I learned so much about North Korea， human trafficking in china， and the struggles defectors face when adapting to life in south korea if they make it that far。 This book puts life in perspective。 Has reminded me of how grateful i am to live where i live and have the life i do。
Julie Curwin
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This book should be required reading for everyone who has ever complained about western civilization or thought Communism was a good idea。 A riveting， harrowing， but ultimately triumphant story of one young woman's heroic struggle to gain freedom。 This book should be required reading for everyone who has ever complained about western civilization or thought Communism was a good idea。 A riveting， harrowing， but ultimately triumphant story of one young woman's heroic struggle to gain freedom。 。。。more
Michael Barros
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This is one of the most compelling stories I’ve ever heard and a sobering examination of the human condition。There’s an underlying theme throughout the book: there’s circumstances out there which will cause proud people to abandon their humanity。There’s also the very interesting fact that evidently Orwell is a dang psychic because he got nearly everything right。
Shashwat
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I don't usually read non-fiction books。 I don't think I've picked up a biography for at least 6 years。But this book was wonderfully written， and has been an unforgettable experience。 The clear-cut language and visual descriptions have helped me see a part of the world I knew next to nothing about， and for that， I am ever grateful to Yeonmi Park。 The trials she has gone through， and the strength she has had across the entire journey of her life is inspirational， and a testament to the strength of I don't usually read non-fiction books。 I don't think I've picked up a biography for at least 6 years。But this book was wonderfully written， and has been an unforgettable experience。 The clear-cut language and visual descriptions have helped me see a part of the world I knew next to nothing about， and for that， I am ever grateful to Yeonmi Park。 The trials she has gone through， and the strength she has had across the entire journey of her life is inspirational， and a testament to the strength of humanity。I wholeheartedly recommend this book to everyone。 。。。more
DeAnna
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I don’t like telling people what to read（because I really don’t like it when people tell me what to read lol） but…if I could force everyone to read a memoir it would be this one 💁🏻♀️You may have seen Yeonmi Park’s viral video a few years ago when she told part of her story at an event for One Young World， an organization for youth leadership。 She briefly described her escape from North Korea into China but even in the few minutes she spoke her words and experience were so impactful and unimagin I don’t like telling people what to read（because I really don’t like it when people tell me what to read lol） but…if I could force everyone to read a memoir it would be this one 💁🏻♀️You may have seen Yeonmi Park’s viral video a few years ago when she told part of her story at an event for One Young World， an organization for youth leadership。 She briefly described her escape from North Korea into China but even in the few minutes she spoke her words and experience were so impactful and unimaginable it caught the world’s attention。 This book is her exodus story from North Korea in detail。 I knew a bit about North Korean history and government but this book opened my eyes and mind to a reality I thought only existed in the most horrific dystopian novels。 As I read I cried in sadness and fury（I’m not an emotional person， it takes a lot for a book to bring this out of me）。 Yeonmi survived starvation， torture， brutal cold， living in squalor and sexual slavery。 The fact that Yeonmi Park stands to tell her story is nothing short of a miracle。 When I closed this book for the final time I wanted to choke Kim Jong-Un with my bare hands and do something， anything， to help everyone else that is trapped in the brutal socialist dictatorship in North Korea。 This book will teach you a lot， it will make you SO grateful for this country that we live in and hopefully give everyone a new perspective on how absolutely fortunate we all our to exist in a country that provides electricity， food， clean water and all the freedoms we take for granted every day。 If I ever complain about this beautiful， imperfect life I live I hope I remember this story and it puts me in my place。 “In the free world， children dream about what they want to be when they grow up and how they can use their talents。 When I was four and five years old， my only adult ambition was to buy as much bread as I liked and eat all of it。” “Even in big city hospitals there is no such thing as “disposable” supplies。 Bandages are washed and reused。 Nurses go from room to room using the same syringe on every patient。 They know this is dangerous， but they have no choice。” 。。。more
Ellen H
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This memoir is eye-opening and illuminates the horrors that take place in North Korea and Communist China。 It should be required reading in all schools。
Beatriz
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Minha geração （anos 90） viveu tempos de ouro a partir de sua metade。 No atual momento de crise， mal sabemos que somos privilegiados por， mesmo nas dificuldades， termos o mínimo para sobreviver。 E quem não tem？Bom， na década de 90， Yeonmi Park não era uma criança como nós， mas sim uma pequena que sofreu e tanto para sair de sua terra natal: Coreia do Norte e， para muito além disso， sua corrida à iluminada China lhe trouxe consequências como tráfico humano， exploração sexual， perdas e opressão do Minha geração （anos 90） viveu tempos de ouro a partir de sua metade。 No atual momento de crise， mal sabemos que somos privilegiados por， mesmo nas dificuldades， termos o mínimo para sobreviver。 E quem não tem？Bom， na década de 90， Yeonmi Park não era uma criança como nós， mas sim uma pequena que sofreu e tanto para sair de sua terra natal: Coreia do Norte e， para muito além disso， sua corrida à iluminada China lhe trouxe consequências como tráfico humano， exploração sexual， perdas e opressão do país que a deveria acolher。Yeonmi Park representa dezenas e até mesmo centenas de desertores norte-coreanos que anseiam pela liberdade até então utópica para eles。 "Para Poder Viver" é um livro de memórias， um diário pessoal onde a autora descreve o caminho Norte - China - Sul， aqui ela conhece a liberdade e o conhecimento além de sua própria bolha。 Atualmente， Yeonmi é desertora norte-coreana e ativista pelos direitos humanos。Ler livros assim nos faz refletir bastante sobre a nossa própria vida， enquanto nós temos tudo， inclusive liberdade de pensamento， há pessoas de outras nações que não possuem sequer poder sobre sua própria mente。 。。。more
Jose
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This was so difficult to read。 The other works I have read on North Korea have been either extremely academic and analytical or an outsider’s attempt to tell the stories of ordinary citizens and life in North Korea。 Although I love Demick’s Nothing to Envy ， the fact of the matter is that the novel itself is written by an outsider。 In Order to Live is a completely personal testimony - and a terrifying one at that。 Where other novels had merely stated in a passage or two how terrible the journey This was so difficult to read。 The other works I have read on North Korea have been either extremely academic and analytical or an outsider’s attempt to tell the stories of ordinary citizens and life in North Korea。 Although I love Demick’s Nothing to Envy ， the fact of the matter is that the novel itself is written by an outsider。 In Order to Live is a completely personal testimony - and a terrifying one at that。 Where other novels had merely stated in a passage or two how terrible the journeys of some people fleeing North Korea could be， Park spends many chapters and a large portion of her memoir detailing。 However， there have been plenty of rebuttals discussing how accurate the information Park shares is。 To a degree， I can understand how post-traumatic stress disorder can have people digest information in various ways and I am not interested in interrogating someone who has gone through a hellish experience。 However， as a wonderful two-star review put it， a lot of the things within the memoir have come out to be contradictory。 On its own， the memoirs are a very powerful and poignant experience， but as Park herself has said， she has consistently done whatever it takes to survive。 One thing I do believe is that she will do whatever it takes to survive and build a better life for herself。 If the story is fully accurate， then she has done a wonderful job sharing her story。 If it is not， then she is clever for playing the West and profiting off their own narratives because I somewhat respect that rags-to-riches story。 Either way， there is a merit to what she has to say。I cannot be a fly on the wall and learn how Park writes， but I really liked the writing style she used to tell her story。 In this meta-narrative sense， reading her struggles and experiences through North Korea， China， and South Korea lent this feeling of where she ended up。 While this is not unique to her， you could say this about any set of memoirs， the fact that she ended up becoming such an educated and ambitious person with a strong sense of self created a lot of payoff for the anecdotes she was sharing。 Especially because she wrote these memoirs at the age of twenty-one。This memoir was a really strong read。 It was emotionally evocative and engagingly told。 It was hard to read at points， but it left me with a lot to think about。 And Park was very effective in getting the reader to understand and feel her passion and anger。 She has a lot of public history by now so she knows how to tell a story that will get an empathetic reaction from her audience。 。。。more
Mili
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Made me realize I know nothing about North Korea 。 Like at all 。 I mean I know that’s how they want it to be but like I just know zero about the place 。 It’s just a concept to me 。 Not real 。 Anyway this book is rlly good it made me cry 。 Such a moving story 。
Kate Adderley
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A story that will stay with me forever。 Heartbreaking and inspiring。
Charlotte Williams
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Fantastic yet absolutely harrowing。 A really deep and emotional read and I couldn't put it down。 Fantastic yet absolutely harrowing。 A really deep and emotional read and I couldn't put it down。 。。。more
Al V。T。
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This is the book that I will remember for the rest of my life。 Usually for books that are written in this simple style I can read them in one sitting but this story is gut-wrenchingly horrifying and unimaginably mortifying that I have to take breaks in between。 Half of the time my reaction was WTFFFF is happening？！？！ How did she get so much courage and will to survive this ordeal？！ Let me list out some parts of her life :1。 Raped at the age of 13， by her human trafficker （ this is after many att This is the book that I will remember for the rest of my life。 Usually for books that are written in this simple style I can read them in one sitting but this story is gut-wrenchingly horrifying and unimaginably mortifying that I have to take breaks in between。 Half of the time my reaction was WTFFFF is happening？！？！ How did she get so much courage and will to survive this ordeal？！ Let me list out some parts of her life :1。 Raped at the age of 13， by her human trafficker （ this is after many attempts of rape by various other human traffickers）2。 Her mom offered herself to be raped by the border guards of NK because they were initially targeting 12 years old Yeonmi。3。 Had to sell her mom one time after being reunited with her again because her human trafficker gambled all their money away。 4。 They were so poor that sometimes they had to salvage food in the woods like crickets and grass。5。 Crossed the Gobi desert in -40 degrees with a compass and a rather thin coat and no gloves or scarves。 6。 Been repeatedly by South Korean officials told that her education level is not on par with the students of SK who have dedicated 16 hours of their time 7 days a week to study， but managed to graduate at the top of her class and proved everybody wrong。 She did some atrocious things to survive like helping human traffickers to sell other NK women， and she openly talked and acknowledged this past knowing she will get backlashes from human rights community or be renounced of being an activist， so that this could be brought to light shows that she knows what she did is wrong but had no choice and I’m sure she’s trying to right what she did。 As I read this， I can’t help but notice some of the parallels in the dystopian world of 1984 by Orwell。 Its like the Kim family decided to use that or Animal farm as a reference to govern the country。 Reading this made me feel so privileged， she’s been deprived of so many things in life and had so many things taken or stolen from her yet she still managed to try to fight to live and survive。 She’s so inspiring and its her story that I will carry with me and remember till the day i die， if I ever felt down or dejected， to remind me that if she could do it， then anybody could too。 。。。more
Maxwell
，
This book is up there with Solzhenitsyn and Frankl。 Her journey is courageous， but her struggles and oppression highlight how soft and spoiled the West has gotten。 Whereas the times have changed in the West， where we don't worry about the basic struggles of life and can pursue our goals beyond basic necessities， Park's journey highlights that even in today's day and age *true* oppression is occurring。 From wild indoctrination into believing the state is a deity， to the sexual abuses performed in This book is up there with Solzhenitsyn and Frankl。 Her journey is courageous， but her struggles and oppression highlight how soft and spoiled the West has gotten。 Whereas the times have changed in the West， where we don't worry about the basic struggles of life and can pursue our goals beyond basic necessities， Park's journey highlights that even in today's day and age *true* oppression is occurring。 From wild indoctrination into believing the state is a deity， to the sexual abuses performed in totalitarian communist regimes， Park shows us once again， as Solzhenitsyn and Frankl have shown before， that the line between good and evil cuts through the heart of every man， and that the question is not what should you expect from life， but rather what does life expect from you。Park's journey is brutal， but within her struggle lies so much about the fundamental meanings of life。 This book should be read in every high school class。 。。。more
Layla
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I haven’t cried so much in so long
Autumn Green
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Yeonmi's story is the most tragic， and yet inspiring story I have ever heard or read。 It encapsulates Plato's allegory of the cave in a real-life setting。 It's hard to imagine how someone could go through so much， and yet be brave enough to tell their story anyways let alone while being faced by threats from the North Korean government。 This book filled me with a sense of gratitude and appreciation for my freedom that I have never quite felt before。 Yeonmi's story is the most tragic， and yet inspiring story I have ever heard or read。 It encapsulates Plato's allegory of the cave in a real-life setting。 It's hard to imagine how someone could go through so much， and yet be brave enough to tell their story anyways let alone while being faced by threats from the North Korean government。 This book filled me with a sense of gratitude and appreciation for my freedom that I have never quite felt before。 。。。more
Lauren
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"When I was crossing the Gobi Desert， I wasn't really afraid of dying as much as I was afraid of being forgotten。 I was scared that I would die in the desert and nobody would know， nobody would know my name or would care if I had lived or died。 But you have listened。 You have cared。"A phenomenal book that I will never forget "When I was crossing the Gobi Desert， I wasn't really afraid of dying as much as I was afraid of being forgotten。 I was scared that I would die in the desert and nobody would know， nobody would know my name or would care if I had lived or died。 But you have listened。 You have cared。"A phenomenal book that I will never forget 。。。more
Elly Miedema
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What a journey she had to take to live in freedom。 It gives a glimpse of her live in N。 Korea and her journey to S。 Korea
MUROV
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made me understand that we create our personalities to hide our biggest pains
Elizabeth Brown
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I couldn’t put this book down。 What an inspirational story。 Such courage， resilience and determination shown by someone that was so young at the time these events took place。 My outmost respect to the author， her family and any other people who flee from North Korea。
Brittney
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*2 stars*Of course， life in North-Korea is brutal and sick， what those people have to go through living there is despicable， but this story just didn’t work for me， and something about it felt detached and removed， making me extremely uninterested。 I just felt so disconnected from the story， and a lot of the beginning was really boring because it was just a recount of her family tree。 The story as a whole just really dragged on， and it was one of the least compelling autobiographical books I hav *2 stars*Of course， life in North-Korea is brutal and sick， what those people have to go through living there is despicable， but this story just didn’t work for me， and something about it felt detached and removed， making me extremely uninterested。 I just felt so disconnected from the story， and a lot of the beginning was really boring because it was just a recount of her family tree。 The story as a whole just really dragged on， and it was one of the least compelling autobiographical books I have read。 It was just。。。 this happened， and then this happened。 Instead of storytelling， this novel just stated things as fact。 It felt so repetitive and linear， and I was very confused for most of the novel。 There were a lot of plot holes， etc。 I just couldn't understand。 I actually really wanted to DNF this， but just ended up skimming hoping for something to grab my attention。 。。。more
Cherie Palmer
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A fascinating read about life North Korea and also about human trafficking。 It will leave you down on your knees kissing the ground and thankful you do not live in North Korea。
Travis Hay
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Probably among my favourite defector autobiographies！ Yeon Mi Park goes into detail about some of the more sordid details that make an important part of her story。 Very brave she is！
gabrielle
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i wholeheartedly believe everyone needs to read this book。
Teresa Tomas
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Everyone should read this book。 There's nothing to fix your gratitude like reading about North Korea。 Everyone should read this book。 There's nothing to fix your gratitude like reading about North Korea。 。。。more
Gina
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