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But people do things to survive, and then after they survive, they can't live with what they've done.
The Orphan Master's Son
The Orphan Master's Son is an epic tale and a spectacular literary discovery that chronicles a young man's trip through the freezing rivers, dark tunnels, and creepy spy rooms of North Korea, the world's most enigmatic government.
Pak Jun Do is the troubled son of a missing mother - a singer who was "taken" to Pyongyang - and a powerful father who oversees Long Tomorrows, an orphan work camp. The youngster is given his first taste of authority there, choosing which orphans will be fed first and which would be entrusted with physical work. Jun Do, known for his loyalty and acute intuition, comes to the notice of state superiors, advances through the ranks, and embarks on a path from which he will never return.
Jun Do, who considers himself "a simple citizen of the greatest nation in the world," becomes a professional kidnapper who must negotiate his Korean superiors' shifting laws, random brutality, and perplexing demands in order to stay alive. He takes on the perilous role of Kim Jong Il's adversary in an attempt to save the lady he loves, Sun Moon, a great actress "so pure, she didn't know what hungry people looked like."
The Orphan Master's Son is a gripping depiction of a country hitherto hidden from view: a North Korea riddled with famine, corruption, and casual cruelty, but also companionship, snatched moments of beauty, and love. The Orphan Master's Son is a monumental literary achievement that propels Adam Johnson into the exclusive group of today's best writers.
But people do things to survive, and then after they survive, they can't live with what they've done.
