Yeonmi Park was born in 1993 in Haesan, North Korea, and now lives in Seoul, South Korea. She has recently traveled the world as a speaker and human rights activist. She tells the astonishing story in its entirety, with courage and dignity, even with a touch of humor. The book is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the sacrifices we are willing to make in order to live. North Korea is one of the most dictatorial countries in the world today. Yeonmi grew up believing that it was completely normal and customary to come across dead bodies on the road, to have friends and neighbors disappear overnight. Even whispering was forbidden, let alone thinking that you disagreed with the country's system. She believed that her beloved leader could read her mind - and punish her if she thought differently. Most of all, she was hungry, so hungry that she was constantly obsessed with food and dreamed of bread. The story becomes even more complicated when he and his mother flee North Korea to China across the frozen Yalu River. For nearly two years, they were at the mercy of Chinese traffickers and rapists, living in a world that was perhaps even more brutal and dangerous than the one they had left behind. Then they risked their lives once more as they embarked on a second dangerous escape attempt across the Gobi Desert, following the stars to freedom in the freezing cold night.