My god, this is one of the saddest books I've ever read. We all hear about the plight of North Korea and the tyrannical abuses of the Kim regime, but only after hearing this first hand account did it really hit home just how awful it is. 

Dear Leader follows the story of Jang Jin-Sung, a former Pyongyang creative who has to flee North Korea after committing "treason". I won't spoil it by saying what the "treason" is, but I will say that perhaps unsurprisingly, it is something that nobody in the West would even dream of calling treason. I recall news stories of similar things in the UK, and the worst is a slapped wrist and a bit of publicity. 

But Jang must flee for his life, and this book is a tell-all account of the struggles that face political refugees. At every stage of his flight, he must trust strangers, and every evening comes the realisation that it may be his last night's sleep. 

I'll keep this one short and vague as it's very easy to spoil, but this is well worth reading and definitely one of the most powerful autobiographies/memoirs I have ever had the privilege of experiencing.