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Every Falling Star

The True Story of How I Survived and Escaped North Korea

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Every Falling Star

Written by: Sungju Lee, Susan McClelland
Narrated by: David Shih
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About this listen

Every Falling Star, the first book to portray contemporary North Korea to a young audience, is the intense memoir of a North Korean boy named Sungju, who is forced at age 12 to live on the streets and fend for himself. To survive, Sungju creates a gang and lives by thieving, fighting, begging, and stealing rides on cargo trains. Sungju richly recreates his scabrous story, depicting what it was like for a boy alone to create a new family with his gang, his "brothers"; to be hungry and to fear arrest, imprisonment, and even execution. This riveting memoir allows young listeners to learn about other cultures where freedoms they take for granted do not exist.

©2016 Sungju Lee (P)2016 Tantor Biographies History & Culture Politics, Society & Current Events Memoir China Imperial Japan North Korea

What the critics say

"A pampered son of the elite survives a nightmarish ordeal in this page-turner of a memoir." ( Kirkus)
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Despite all the struggles Sungju had to deal with at such a young age, he didn't have to do it alone. It's a story of perseverance, the will to survive and the need for familial bonds. An angel was definitely watching over him throughout his life.

The true bond of friendship and brotherhood

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