Star of the North by D.B. John – audio
Book Blurb:
Star of the North opens in 1998, when a Korean American teenager is kidnapped from a South Korean beach by North Korean operatives. Twelve years later, her brilliant twin sister, Jenna, is still searching for her, and ends up on the radar of the CIA. When evidence that her sister may still be alive in North Korea comes to light, Jenna will do anything possible to rescue her–including undertaking a daring mission into the heart of the regime. Her story is masterfully braided together with two other narrative threads. In one, a North Korean peasant woman finds a forbidden international aid balloon and uses the valuables inside to launch a dangerously lucrative black-market business. In the other, a high-ranking North Korean official discovers, to his horror, that he may be descended from a traitor, a fact that could mean his death if it is revealed. As the novel progresses, these narrative strands converge and connect in surprising ways, ultimately building to an explosive and unforgettable climax.
My Review: 4 stars
Star of the North came to me by way of my Tell Me What You’re Reading Tuesday post on Facebook. I really needed something different and this hit the mark. One of the many reasons I love to read is the escape to new places, while learning new things. I learned a lot about North Korea through a fictional and engrossing tale.
This book works well as it has a three well-crafted storylines that will eventually converge. One is from Jenna, a black American Korean, whose twin sister is missing after studying in South Korea. Another is about Mrs. Moon, an older woman who strength and courage are infallible. She lives on a penal farm allowing the reader to see the typical life of a poor North Korean citizen. The last thread is about a high-ranking official in North Korean called Cho. This man lives the privileged lifestyle but due to his adoption as a child, he is suddenly not to be trusted or valued. Through these plot lines we see bribery, extortion, friendship, bravery, morality, immorality, romance, family, honor, debauchery and homecomings.
The non-fiction book The Girl With Seven Names educated me on life in North Korea and the improbability of escape. This book took me into the CIA and their search for clues into North Korea’s secret arsenals, the random kidnappings they do to recruit spies and their overall corruption. Learning about North Korea through literature, both fiction and non-fiction, is like watching a train-wreck, you want to know everything no matter how disturbing it is to see.
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