Description
Fiction. East Asia Studies. As North Korea undergoes a devastating famine, Yeong-dae loses both his parents and is forced to beg on the streets. Soon, this young boy sets off on a desperate journey to China to find his sister—his last living family member. Captured by the authorities, he is sent back to the North, where he is thrown in jail and tortured. Once he is finally released, he crosses the Tumen River again, more determined than ever to find a place where he can live a decent life. This inspiring tale offers a glimpse into the horrors faced by North Korean children—and their indomitable will to survive.
"When I started reading this book, I found myself amazed that the author seemed to understand North Korean society even better than me—and I used to live there! I was sucked into the story, and it felt less like reading a novel and more like reliving my childhood and escape from North Korea. Around 25,000 North Koreans have defected to the South as of 2013, and it seemed like the heartbreaking tale of each defector was distilled into this story."—Kim Young-il
Author Bio
Moon Young-sook was born in Seosan, Chungcheongnam-do, in 1953. Her literary career took off when she won the second Blue Literature Prize in 2004 and the sixth Literature Neighborhood Prize for Children's Literature in 2005. In 2012, she received a creative grant from the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture. Moon mostly writes stories to teach young people about parts of Korean history that Koreans must never forget. Some of her best- known works are the young adult historical novels The Kareiski's Endless Wandering and The Children of Henequen. She has also written children's novels including ACROSS THE TUMEN (Seoul Selections, 2013), Picture in the Tomb, The Dark Sea, Hagi: Lady of the Court, The Coat of Many Colors, The Old Man Who Became a Baby.
Author City: SEOUL KOR