The Girl with Seven Names: A North Korean Defector’s Story

Hyeonseo Lee

Jul 2015 · Sold by HarperCollins UK

About this ebook

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

An extraordinary insight into life under one of the world’s most ruthless and secretive dictatorships – and the story of one woman’s terrifying struggle to avoid capture/repatriation and guide her family to freedom.

As a child growing up in North Korea, Hyeonseo Lee was one of millions trapped by a secretive and brutal communist regime. Her home on the border with China gave her some exposure to the world beyond the confines of the Hermit Kingdom and, as the famine of the 1990s struck, she began to wonder, question and to realise that she had been brainwashed her entire life. Given the repression, poverty and starvation she witnessed surely her country could not be, as she had been told “the best on the planet”?

Aged seventeen, she decided to escape North Korea. She could not have imagined that it would be twelve years before she was reunited with her family.

Ratings and reviews

Tenacity. Stubborness. Perseverance. I don't know how many of us with all the freedoms and privileges we enjoy would lay them on the line, sacrificing what could be everything for another? Or is this because life was so regimented, and you stayed in your lane and never stepped out of the box therefore you risked nothing. Min's distrust and questioning came early on with the "Secret" of her mom's first marriage, the fabricated story of her biological father. Her mom's ability to "make ends meet" , always making do, make a fast buck...a true hustler. An intelligent, curious, quick on her feet, problem solver, analyzer & plan, implement (always with a Plan B). Risk taker. All these chacteristics helped as she sought to leave North Korea. Frustrating, hurtful. You can't help but root for her as she navigates mistakes, miscreants and thugs, the real underbellies that lay at her every beck and call. Min found trust and good people.

So much emotions in a book! The book shows how blessed we are living in peace and in a world where there is at least the bare minimum of human rights. It also shows how persistent someone could be when they have a goal to reach! It shows how family is important no matter what troubles it might get you in. I truly loved this book and loved Hyeonseo. God bless you and free your fellow North Korean.

Its an amazing story of a girl who leaves North Korea and the reason of her leaving and obstacles she faces ahead is brilliantly potrayed. We often take so many things for granted but after reading this book.. we value our freedom and change our attitude and find happiness in little things. This really helped me in lockdown also i read this book after watching her TED TALK. Beautiful girl.. beautiful story. One must read to understand what dystopia feels like.

About the author

Hyeonseo Lee grew up in North Korea but escaped to China in 1997. In 2008, after more than 10 years there, she came to Seoul, South Korea, where she struggled to adjust to life in the bustling city. Recently graduated from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, she has become a regular speaker on the international stage fostering human rights and awareness of the plight of North Koreans. She is an advocate for fellow refugees, even helping close relatives leave North Korea. Her TED talk has been viewed nearly 4m times. She is married to her American husband Brian Gleason and currently lives in South Korea.