Every Falling Star

Lee, Sungju.  Every Falling Star. 2016. New York: Abrams Books.

Sungju lived in Pyongyang with his family in the Nineties.  His father was an important man, and Sungju was being raised to be a part of the party system.  He lived in an apartment where everyone had their own room, and their lives were comfortable.

Sungju's father disagreed with the party line, and the family found themselves exiled to the northernmost reaches of North Korea.  Living off of savings in a hut with no electricity and no central heat in the middle of a deadly famine, the family fell into hard times and stayed there.

Sungju's father snuck across the border into China with hopes of selling his medals and bringing home food.  After several months, Sungju and his mother realized that he was not returning.  When Sungju awoke one morning to find his mother gone, the struggle to survive began.

Forced to run the streets and steal food, Sungju's life became a living nightmare.  He never knew where his next meal was coming from, and survival became a daily struggle.  How Sungju survived the streets of North Korea and escaped to safety in the South is a story that everyone needs to hear.



Find this book in your local public library: https://www.worldcat.org/title/every-falling-star-the-true-story-of-how-i-survived-and-escaped-north-korea/oclc/972770913&referer=brief_results