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Under The Same Sky: From Starvation in North Korea to Salvation in America Kindle Edition
Inside the hidden and mysterious world of North Korea, Joseph Kim lived a young boy’s normal life until he was five. Then disaster struck: the first wave of the Great Famine, a long, terrible ordeal that killed millions, including his father, and sent others, like his mother and only sister, on desperate escape routes into China. Alone on the streets, Joseph learned to beg and steal until finally, in desperation, he too crossed a frozen river to escape to China.
A kindly Christian woman took him in and kept him hidden from the authorities. And through an underground network of activists, he was spirited to the American consulate, becoming one of only a very few North Koreans to be brought to the United States as refugees. Joseph knew no English and had never been a good student. Yet the kindness of his foster family changed his life. He became a dedicated student, mastered English, and made it to college, where he is now thriving thanks to his faith and inner strength. Under the Same Sky is an unforgettable story of suffering and redemption.
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherMariner Books
- Publication dateJune 2, 2015
- File size1926 KB
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"[A] page-turner—fast-paced, suspenseful and novelistic. . . Searing." —Wall Street Journal “Vital to our understanding of life in North Korea.” —Washington Post "There's something riveting about his honesty; he portrays the bleak conditions, dwindling resources, eternal uncertainty, and loss of dignity with an unashamed matter-of-factness almost at odds with the desperate circumstances...Kim's tale is a vital insight into a little-understood country and a modern day tragedy." —Publishers Weekly, starred review "This short, brutish book—with chapter-ending cliffhangers presaging the next hard twist—will enlighten readers as to the devastating hardships facing those living in North Korea during the 'great famine.'" —Booklist “Told with poise and dignity, Kim’s story…provides vivid documentation of a remarkable life. It also offers an important account of atrocities committed within North Korea that have been hidden from the West—and indeed, most of the rest of the world. A courageous and inspiring memoir.” —Kirkus Reviews —
From the Inside Flap
Inside the hidden and mysterious world of North Korea, Joseph Kim lived a young boy s normal life until he was five. Then disaster struck: the first wave of the Great Famine, a long, terrible ordeal that killed millions, including his father, and sent others, like his mother and only sister, on desperate escape routes into China. Alone on the streets, Joseph learned to beg and steal. He had nothing but a street-hardened survival instinct. Finally, in desperation, he too crossed a frozen river to escape to China.
There a kindly Christian woman took him in, kept him hidden from the authorities, and gave him hope. Soon, through an underground network of activists, he was spirited to the American consulate and became one of just a handful of North Koreans to be brought to the United States as refugees. Joseph knew no English and had never been a good student. Yet the kindness of his foster family changed his life. Determined to succeed, he became a dedicated student, mastered English, and made it to college, where he is now thriving thanks to his faith and inner strength. Under the Same Sky is an unforgettable story of suffering and redemption.
From the Back Cover
“Powerful . . . Doesn’t hold anything back.” — Publishers Weekly, starred review
Inside the hidden and mysterious world of North Korea, Joseph Kim lived a young boy’s normal life until he was five. Then disaster struck: the first wave of the Great Famine, a long, terrible ordeal that killed millions, including his father, and sent others, like his mother and only sister, on desperate escape routes into China. Alone on the streets, Joseph learned to beg and steal until finally, in desperation, he too crossed a frozen river to escape to China.
A kindly Christian woman took him in and kept him hidden from the authorities. And through an underground network of activists, he was spirited to the American consulate, becoming one of just a handful of North Koreans to be brought to the United States as refugees. Joseph knew no English and had never been a good student. Yet the kindness of his foster family changed his life. He became a dedicated student, mastered English, and made it to college, where he is now thriving thanks to his faith and inner strength. Under the Same Sky is an unforgettable story of suffering and redemption.
“A remarkable tale . . . Vividly describes what Joseph Kim and millions of other North Koreans endured.” — Christian Science Monitor
“A courageous and inspiring memoir.” — Kirkus Reviews
JOSEPH KIM was born in North Korea in 1990. In 2007 he came to the United States, where he completed high school. He is currently a college student in New York City.
STEPHAN TALTY is the coauthor of several works of narrative nonfiction, including Captain Phillips.
Author photograph © Martin Bentsen
MARINER
www.marinerbooks.com
$15.95
ISBN 978-0-544-70527-2
Nonfiction
0616 / 1628359
About the Author
JOSEPH KIM was born in North Korean in 1990. In 2007 he came to the United States, where he completed high school and went to college in New York City.
Product details
- ASIN : B00LZ7GT2K
- Publisher : Mariner Books; Reprint edition (June 2, 2015)
- Publication date : June 2, 2015
- Language : English
- File size : 1926 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Not Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Sticky notes : On Kindle Scribe
- Print length : 293 pages
- Best Sellers Rank: #56,754 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #1 in Refugees
- #2 in History of Korea
- #28 in Chinese History (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
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This book left mixed feelings. It's not difficult to read, there are unhinged recounts of what life can be like for someone who grew up in North Korea written concisely and in a story telling way that's engaging. Feelings are mixed because it was co-written. There were a few spots that don't quite meld well with the overall theme of the story. These moments happen particularly toward the end of the book. Kwang Jin is in China and just starting to learn about Christianity and it's mentioned, "A voice inside my head said, you can't go back, you won't make it, you'll be caught and it will be another miserable chapter in your life." (page 232 second paragraph). Any other time this would be Kwang Jin simply thinking to himself. However, when he is just beginning to learn about Christianity he starts "hearing voices" opposed to thinking to himself. I found this to have an evangelistic feel to it. Not long after in the Epilogue an entire paragraph seems misplaced. In context, Kwang Jin is reflecting on his accounts with depression and his desire to help those in North Korea. A seemingly random and unnecessary paragraph ensues, "Only together can we bring justice and freedom to North Koreans. This is their right as human beings. And I hope to see the day where they enjoy the same justice and freedom that I do." (page 266 third paragraph). This paragraph seems to be a call for activism. For a book that comes off as so genuine and engaging to include small, seemingly thrown-in references is highly disappointing. In such a case the book should have been longer and include more detail on activism and Christian efforts for North Koreans to inform readers more deeply on the topics.
The book is so rich with information and ideas that I'm sure will stick with me the rest of my life. My review is based solely on the book in its entirety. I'm not giving Kwang Jin's life four stars, and encourage readers to watch his TED talk after the book. I hope the other North Korean refugees are doing well, and I have high hopes for Bong Sook.
This is a story about resilience and persistence. It is also a story about family life in a country we still know so little about. A window will open for you when you read this book. The similarities between Joseph Kim and any young boy will be a surprise, but the rest of the story will leave you agape. This is truly the best book I have read this year. I am sure someone will make a motion picture in the future, but don't wait for the film!
Dr. Tom Accardi
Top reviews from other countries
It left me shocked and even more so to discover the author is now only 25
It is a hard read, but personally one that I feel I had to read. I am glad that Joseph Kim found the courage and strength to write this.