Demick provides a historical journal of everyday lives in North Korea. Focusing on the lives of six North Koreans over a 15 year period, several of whom defected to South Korea and China. This period covers a tumultuous period of time spanning the passing away of the country’s leader, the beginning of his son’s reign, and a devastating food crisis.
Demick’s work is put together through numerous interviews of approximately a 100 North Korean defectors over almost a decade. Focus lies on the rural mining town of Chongjin. Not having visited the region herself, Demick connects the stories of those who lived there, and combined with her own experiences traveling to the nations’ capital Pyongyang and surrounding areas, depicts the happenings in vivid detail.
Through the eyes of North Koreans she provides a wonderful historical summary of key events in the region including:
Given many of the stories are told through second hand accounts, it’s difficult to gauge which parts may have been embellished or perhaps slightly inaccurate, either way, put together they create a wonderful effect. The stories weave us in and out of the everyday lives of family members, whom amidst the backdrop of enormously challenging times, we witness them as they grow, develop, form, and reform their views of the world.
Admittedly some of the excrutiating detail in which mundane activities are explained can feel monotonous and drawn out at times. Having said that, it is essentially these same details, that help us get a sense and feel for the ordinary lives Demick bases the book around.