Productdetails

Softcover ©2015 - In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl’s Journey to Freedom is a non-fiction memoir co-authored by Yeonmi Park and Maryanne Vollers. The book details Park’s harrowing journey from her childhood in the oppressive dictatorship of North Korea, through her escape and subsequent trafficking in China, to her eventual freedom in South Korea. Park’s narrative covers several critical aspects of her life: Life in North Korea: She describes growing up under the Kim dynasty, witnessing extreme starvation, the collapse of her family’s status after her father was imprisoned for black-market trading, and the pervasive fear and mind control enforced by the regime. Trafficking in China: After fleeing to China to escape starvation, Park and her mother were betrayed and sold into a network of human trafficking, enduring sexual slavery and exploitation before managing to flee. Escape and Freedom: The memoir recounts their perilous trek across the Gobi Desert into Mongolia and finally to Seoul, South Korea, where Park faced the additional challenges of cultural adaptation and stigma as a defector. Activism: The book concludes with Park’s transformation into a global human rights activist, using her story to highlight the plight of North Korean refugees and advocate for human rights