Star of the North

by D.B. John, Penguin Random House

The truth of life within the world’s most secretive state, North Korea, is laid bare in this extraordinary thriller. It’s uneasy reading, yet the narrative is gripping. Author John has visited the North and provides a lengthy glossary which goes a long way to explain why and how he came to describe the worst of the capital Pyongyang’s evil, at such a timely hour in world politics. There are three linked stories running through the pages of the book – that of top aid negotiator Cho, whose grandfather and father were both executed for crimes against the state. Cho never knew them because he was adopted at birth, but in the eyes of the authorities, his blood ties make him guilty too, putting his life in danger. Then there is the quest of half-Korean, half-African-American Jenna, whose twin Soo-min was abducted from a South Korean beach and taken to the North more than 10 years before. Jenna is a CIA operative who sets out to find her sister and comes into contact with Cho when he successfully bids for billions of dollars worth of aid from the Americans. Running throughout is a story from the rural north of the country, where starvation is normal and used to maintain political control, but one strong woman is seemingly immune to the treachery and brutality of the regime. John’s book is one of the best this writer has read in a long time and highly recommended.