Nothing To Envy - Barbra Demick

Nothing To Envy brings us the true accounts of North Korea. If you were to google a night map of the country you will notice their are no lights.  Their is no internet, and books like gone with the wind are banned.  All television and phone calls are screened, and the education system only teaches children what the government wants them to hear.  The country is poor and people are rationed like the war.

Why Read?  I seem to be on a culture hunt at the moment, fascinated by the lives of others in other places.  Working in a library really helps to fuel my interest and I noticed this book in the History Section.  Learning about the truth behind North Korea

We follow the lives of six families, taken from interviews and reports.  Barbra through visits, theses interviews and countless others gives us a unique insight into one of the worlds most secretive counties.

This book is slightly shocking and very insightful.  I don't know much about the country of North Korea and after stumbling across the Google Image previous to this book I was a little bit curious to why their were no lights on after dark. Reading this story has given me an understanding of this country. When i first read this book I couldn't believe how recent the stories were, how in this Modern world their is a country stuck in what could be close described as us after the war with rationing and 'make do and mend'. Its shocking how the people live their life's, how they are restricted on everything from food to work, and how even those who are classed as rich still have nothing at all.

Barbra presents her findings in a way that makes it easy to engage with and is very insightful.  By following particular families you get to see it from their point of view, and entwined in their stories are account from other people, and observations made. Its almost reads like a fiction story - you can't believe some of its true.

I thought it was a great read, and as mentioned both insightful and interesting.  What a great way to learn about other countries and cultures. How shocking that a whole country could be stuck in this rut.  And how sad its only those who escaped realised what they escaped from. A very interesting read.