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Audiobooks Narrated by Rosa Escoda
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The harrowing story of a woman who escaped famine and terror in North Korea, not once but twice.
‘A gripping, suspenseful and cathartic memoir that tells a story of pain and perseverance and makes the moral case for asylum.’ David Lammy MP
North Korea is an open-air prison from which there is no escape. Only a handful of men and women have succeeded.
Jihyun Park is one of these rare survivors. Twice she left the land of the ‘socialist miracle’ to flee famine and dictatorship.
By the age of 29 she had already witnessed a lifetime of suffering. Family members had died of starvation; her brother was beaten nearly to death by soldiers. Even smiling and laughing was discouraged.
The first time she ran, she was forced abandon her father on his deathbed – crossing the border under a hail of bullets. In China she was sold to a farmer, with whom she had a son, before being denounced and forcibly returned to North Korea.
Six months later guards abandoned her, injured, outside a prison camp. She recovered and returned China to seek her son, now six, before attempting to navigate the long, hard road through the Gobi Desert and into Mongolia.
Clear-eyed and resolute, Jihyun’s extraordinary story reveals a Korea far removed from the talk of nuclear weapons and economic sanctions. She remains sanguine despite the hardship. Recalling life’s tiny pleasures even at her darkest moments, she manages to instill her tale with incredible grace and humanity.
Beautifully written with South Korean compatriot Seh-lynn Chai, this compelling book offers a stark lesson in determination, and ultimately in the importance of asylum.
Deadly storms have ravaged Mina’s homeland for generations. Floods sweep away entire villages, while bloody wars are waged over the few remaining resources. Her people believe the Sea God, once their protector, now curses them with death and despair. In an attempt to appease him, each year a beautiful maiden is thrown into the sea to serve as the Sea God’s bride, in the hopes that one day the “true bride” will be chosen and end the suffering. Many believe that Shim Cheong, the most beautiful girl in the village?and the beloved of Mina’s older brother Joon?may be the legendary true bride. But on the night Cheong is to be sacrificed, Joon follows Cheong out to sea, even knowing that to interfere is a death sentence. To save her brother, Mina throws herself into the water in Cheong’s stead. Swept away to the Spirit Realm, a magical city of lesser gods and mythical beasts, Mina seeks out the Sea God, only to find him caught in an enchanted sleep. With the help of a mysterious young man named Shin?as well as a motley crew of demons, gods, and spirits?Mina sets out to wake the Sea God and bring an end to the killer storms once and for all. But she doesn’t have much time: a human cannot live long in the land of the spirits. And there are those who would do anything to keep the Sea God from waking…
Brought to you by Penguin.
'A must-read for anyone interested in the art of intuitively knowing what others feel.' Haemin Sunim, author of The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down and Love for Imperfect Things
Nunchi (noon-chee): eye measure. The subtle art of gauging other people's thoughts, and feelings in order to build trust, harmony and connection.
Why did she get promoted? Why does the party only start when he walks in? And why do they always catch the bartender's eye? It sounds like they're all experts in the art of nunchi, even if they don't know it.
Nunchi is the guiding principle of Korean life, but anyone can use it: it's the art of reading a room, your way of understanding what other people are thinking and feeling, and using that to get ahead.
Korean parents believe that teaching their children nunchi is as important as teaching them to cross the road safely. With great nunchi, it feels like the world is on your side. Without it, you might get hit by something you never saw coming.
If you're thinking 'not another Eastern fad, Marie Kondo already made me throw half my clothes away', don't worry: it's not a fad. Koreans have been using nunchi to overcome slings and arrows for over 5000 years.
The great news is that anyone can hone their nunchi, immediately: all you need are your eyes and ears. In everything, from finding love to excelling at work, improving your nunchi will help you to open doors you never knew existed.
Improve your nunchi, improve your life.
'Whip-smart, hilarious, and filled with eye-opening insights on every page.' Amy Chua, author of Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother
'Beautifully written and filled with actionable advice . . . It really feels like having a superpower!' Héctor García, co-author of Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life
'Nunchi is the Korean superpower you need now' Evening Standard
'We could all help ourselves by practising the ancient art of Nunchi' The Times
When a novice French diplomat arrives in Korea for an audience with the Emperor, he is enraptured by the Joseon Dynasty's magnificent culture. But all fades away when he sees Yi Jin perform the delicate traditional Dance of the Spring Oriole. Although well aware that women of the court belong to the palace, the young diplomat confesses his love to the Emperor and gains permission for Yi Jin to accompany him back to France. A world away in Belle Epoque Paris, Yi Jin lives a free, independent life away from the gilded cage of the court and begins translating and publishing Joseon literature into French with another Korean student. But even in this new world, great sorrow awaits her, and Yi Jin's grieving and suffering is only amplified by homesickness. But her homecoming ends up being an unhappy one. Betrayal, jealousy, and intrigue abound, culminating with the tragic assassination of the last Joseon empress...
