Thank you so much to Amazon Publishing for sending me a free copy – all opinions are my own.
âSomeone once said, âIf a crying baby could tear down the universe, it would.â Thats how I felt that day. I wanted to demolish the whole universe, but the sad truth was, it had already come crashing down around my head.â
My Review:Â
This story is so personalâyou feel as if your friend is telling you a story. Itâs not overly dramaticâit doesnât need to be. The details of this little book are very upsetting and hit straight to the heart.
Masaji Ishikawa tells his life from his childhood in Japan, up through his escape from North Korea. He was born in 1947, just after the conclusion of the Second World War, and after Japanese colonial rule in Korea ended. His father, Do Sam-dal, was Korean and his mother, Miyoko Ishikawa, Japanese. It was a disturbing childhood, full of fear, anger, and pain. Even though his motherâs family was respected, his father was not. His father was very resentful towards his mother and took it out on her.
When Masaji was thirteen, his father insisted they move to North Korea under the regime of Kim Il-Sung. He thought heâd have a better life in North Korea, which he had told would be âparadise on Earthâ. Except, as Masaji describes it, it was hell on Earth, and after reading his story, I am in 100 percent agreement.
His childhood was difficult but it did not hold a handle to the struggles of living in North Korea for thirty-six years and every time I saw the phrase, âLuckily I…â I couldnât believe how optimistic he wasâthe human spirit is an amazing thing. I also thought it was interesting to see the change in his fatherâs temperament over the years in North Korea. And how Masaji finally understood what made his father who he was.
I loved how matter-of-factly Masaji speaks. It is very well-written memoir and I believe 170 pages is all it needed to be extremely impactful. This is an important story and one that everyone should know and understand.
I rate this book 5 / 5 stars!
Click here to purchase at Amazon.Â
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