I only rated Without You four stars, because I want to know more about its impact on North Korean citizens and external samaritans, but it's five stars in how fascinating the topic is. Most of us know very little about life in North Korea! I read [b:Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea|40604846|Nothing to Envy Ordinary Lives in North Korea|Barbara Demick|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1529606621l/40604846._SY75_.jpg|6358552] ten years ago and was similarly rapt (my review.

Author and journalist Suki Kim goes undercover as an undercover evangelical posing as a teacher at a university for North Korea's elite sons. The young men are at a Science and Technical institution, but don't know what the Internet is, and during Kim's first semester, there are no science faculty. I learned about this book when I heard Kim's poetic story on The Moth, which I recommend you listen to. She talks about her students lie all the time, and how hard it is to get used to constant, transparent lies. But what can you expect from life in a regime based on hidden truths? Because everyone is under surveillance there is no way to tell what anyone truly believes.

Either they were so terrified that they felt compelled to lie and boast of the greatness of their Leader, or they sincerely believed everything they were telling me. I could not decide which was worse.

Kim is always on edge that she'll commit a casual crime like taking an unauthorized photo or referencing something positive about the US or South Korea and end up imprisoned. The word "gulag" appears seven times in the memoir.

According to the latest UN report, the DPRK maintains some twenty gulags holding some 120,000 political prisoners (Human Rights Watch estimates 200,000).

It's hard to believe this regime is really in absolute power and has been for so long, but it has; it has.