How I Became a North Korean

The three teenage protagonists of this forceful novel cross paths just north of North Korea, each there for a different reason, said Alexander Chee in The New York Times. Yongju fled home after his father ran foul of Kim Jong Il; pregnant Jangmi sold herself into marriage; California-raised Danny is looking for his mother. Though narrative crosscutting is at first distracting, the book—now out in paperback— gains strength quickly, and provides a “compelling” window on both North and South Korea.