Gail

Lots of Vulgarity. Matthew is cocky

Revisado: 08-08-19

The pros of the audio book is the narration and the actual story. However, I feel Matthew is quite haughty and his constant vulgarity was unneeded. Lots of f-bombs dropping constantly and other vulgar expressions are dropped in at nauseum. It was distracting and it wrecked the story for me. That, and the tooting of his own horn, made me think higher of his nemesis, Theo... His anger at Theo didn't seem to match how he described him to be. Give him a break Matthew!
I may have to read up on his side if the story.

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Waiting for something interesting

Revisado: 01-17-19

The narration is like someone reading a children's book to children. It made it hard to get into the mood of the author's writing. I only got to chapter 4. I'm sure it might have gotten better, but the author seemed to be fishing for details of her childhood that could make the book interesting, but were pretty much mundane. That on top of the narration, and it just isn't keeping my attention.

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The sample made it seem it was a memoir

Revisado: 08-31-18

I thought this was a memoir. The sample made it seem so. it was a good story, but it would have been better if the daughter would have taken his diaries and put in memoir form.

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it's about a house and who's it is. I tried but

Revisado: 07-04-18

it's about a house and who's it is. I tried but couldn't keep track of everybody. it's a story that may be interesting to the families themselves.

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Terrifying and sad

Revisado: 03-07-18

I was able to buy this book for $1.99.
The book was shorter than most North Korean stories. I wished it was linger, but it was a bargain for the good content. It didn't take long to get through it and I was never bored with the story.

Like all North Korean escapee stories, this one was very interesting and intriguing. Though the author's tone throughout the book was quite bitter, his life story tells why. This story was different in that I had never learned that North Korea hooked up with Japan's Korean, former slave population and tricked them into coming back to "Paradise"! The Author was born in Japan to a displaced Korean father and a Japanese mother. He didn't have a choice but to go with his parents who, sadly, believed the propaganda.
I thought the narrator did a great job and his voice was easy to listen to and believable to be the author's voice. It's very hard to know there were so many in his country who have suffered and died, and yet it still goes on today! Ughh!

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Despite the British accent, please still listen!!

Revisado: 10-03-17

Even though I disagree with the mistake of using a British narrator instead of an Asian reader, the book is well worth getting used to the accent.
This is an astonishing account of Hyeonseo Lee's journey to freedom. I've read a lot of North Korean escapee memoirs and this one is right up there with most of them. Hers has a different twist than others, so I found it very captivating. (Not that all aren't!!)
Her story is well written and it was intriguing to drink in the mindset of a more wealthy, basically happy person who lives there. This came to light when she reveals how the childhood ingrained, propaganda depicting North Korea as the "The Greatest Country On Earth" conflicted with her seeing people die in the government sanctioned famine of the 90's where millions died.

(POSSIBLE SPOILER, BUT MEANT TO ENTICE)

Hyeonseo did not plan on defecting from North Korea. She lived in a border town, and with teenage naivete, her plan was to cross over and come back in a few days.This made her story an anomaly, different than others who secretly planned, fought hard and risked their lives to leave for good, though not much less horrible was her dilemma.
Also, being she spent a long time in China after leaving her country, I learned more about the plights of the North's defectors in China, which was more in depth than other books I've read because she spent more time eluding the authorities than other authors did.
Each time I listen or read North Korea's defectors' stories, my mind is more convinced that truth needs to get to the average citizen who lives there....somehow!!

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It took guts and she's the one who had them!

Revisado: 06-13-17

If anyone could tell of their experience, she could with her personality and chutzpah! I just couldn't listen to the book without ear buds because she lands the F-bombs A LOT! My kids , my kids!

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GREAT memoir, great narrorator!

Revisado: 04-07-17

Sungju Lee's memoir could really add to the understanding of the plight of North Koreans' street children and all of North Korean atrocities being done in the name of the Un regime. I'm glad he is helping refugees settle in South Korea and elsewhere. The narrorator was superb. When I listen to a memoir, it's always great to have it ready by a person from the same decent. Even though he has an American accent, his voice is obviously Asian. I would listen to his narration again.

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Why do we have to know EVERY detail?!!

Revisado: 09-25-16

I appreciate knowing Ms. Simon had such a good memory for details, but why did her son have to include every one of them in her memoir? I am sure she has quite a story, but all the names, occupations, and every minor detail of people inessential to her story makes me want to shout, "Who Cares?!!" I'm sure I've missed important points in the muddle of details because I find myself down the black hole where I can't concentrate. Even important character's get lost in the muddle. For instance, a woman who helped her who was in the circus... why did we have to have the stunts they preformed described to us? I've been to the circus! I've seen their acts.
He did his Mother's story a disservice. All the details he allowed in the book might have been meaningful to him, but I can't finish it because of them.

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AAAmazzing story!

Revisado: 06-22-16

What about Richard Allen’s performance did you like?

His voice fit the story. Not distracting at all.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Gutsy!

Any additional comments?

Thank you Reza Kahlili for your important work.

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