In Order to Live

Have you ever read an autobiography? I share the opinion of some that, generally, this is not the type of book that attracts me the most. However, that day, I walked into a bookstore and saw it. Intrigued, I ended up approaching it, grabbing it and reading the summary. And as you can guess, I walked away with it. It could have stopped there, bought it and put it on the mountain of unread books to forget about it and move on. But if you’re reading this, you’ll suspect that I ended up reading it. So let’s go!

Summary: The autobiography in question is that of Park Yeon Mi. A North Korean who managed, at the age of 13 with her mother, to escape from one of the most closed countries in the world. If some think that her troubles stopped once she crossed the border, nothing could be further from the truth. It is thus evoked her passage in China, her path towards Mongolia before reaching the soil of South Korea.

From a writing point of view, the novel is very easy to read. The author gives us an overview of history at the beginning of the book to help us understand how Korea found itself split in two and how North Korea evolved as a result. This simple reminder without a monotonous archivist tone allows us to better understand the context where the people live there, where she lived.

From a story point of view, I was touched by the life of this young woman. Especially since she and I were born the same year. How can I not make a comparison between her life and mine? It is only one link among many that we share with thousands of people on this Earth, but this simple link goes a long way.

There is quite a controversy currently over the testimony of this young woman. Some accuse her of romanticizing her journey too much, others protest against false information appearing in her book. From my point of view, I can’t tell who is wrong and who is right. There is no smoke without fire and feelings play a big role in how we remember things. The testimony presented is sufficient for me as it is.

This book has a lot to offer including a new look at the situation on this side of the globe. Would you accept this cookie of a life on the run?