He eventually came to call these boys his brothers, since they were all condemned to a life of thievery and street violence in order to stay alive.ĭespite eventually escaping from this oppressive regime of North Korea, Lee still wishes to return to his home one day under better circumstances.Īll in all, it’s an enlightening read that highlights how freedom in Western countries is often taken for granted. While it’s easy to see the word “gang” and assume that these boys were villainous, Lee portrays them as loyal and selfless. This book outlines his time on the streets, where he formed a gang with seven other boys in similar circumstances. Lee then chronicles how his life suddenly shifted from that of an ambitious boy with blind faith in the North Korean regime, to a homeless child who was forced to grow up all too quickly.
Although Lee does not go into detail about the reasons behind their banishment, he states that their actions would have been seen as acceptable in a Western democratic society. However, once he reached the age of 12, Lee’s parents were exiled from Pyongyang. His parents were very loving and had every intention of providing him with the means to achieve these dreams. He had dreams of following in his father’s footsteps and becoming a general in the army. The narrative starts with Lee’s upbringing, where he was born into an affluent military family in the country’s capital of Pyongyang. It’s against this backdrop that Lee begins his story. The memoir begins with a brief history of North Korea, which is aptly designated as “the Hermit Kingdom” for its complete detachment from the rest of the world.
North Korea is a country that is renowned for being shrouded in mystery, but Sungju Lee’s memoir titled Every Falling Star: The True Story of How I Survived and Escaped North Korea manages to reveal some of the nation’s best-kept secrets. The underappreciated world of literature offers endless benefits, so without further ado, check out this week’s read. Reading is the fastest way for you to make an escape into the world of your choosing, and expand your vocabulary without even knowing it. During the school year, when you feel like readings are piled up to your ears, reading for fun can seem like a ridiculous idea-but it shouldn’t.
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