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The Hard Road Out
- One Woman’s Escape from North Korea
- Narrated by: Rosa Escoda
- Length: 6 hrs and 52 mins
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The Hard Road Out
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Summary
The harrowing story of a woman who escaped famine and terror in North Korea, not once but twice.
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.
Critic reviews
"A gripping, suspenseful and cathartic memoir that tells a story of pain and perseverance and makes the moral case for asylum." (David Lammy MP)
"Jihyun Park is the first defector to seek political office outside the Korean peninsula." (The Sun)
"Gripping. Strikes a good balance in offering colourful cultural details to a western reader who is unlikely to know much about this closed-off part of the world." (Alice Fookes and Anna Souter, UN Women UK)
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What listeners say about The Hard Road Out
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Bill
- 15-12-22
An amazing story
If this weren’t true it would almost be unbelievable.
Incredible story of suffering and bravery
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- ms M H kick
- 23-09-22
Outstanding
This has been one of the most moving books I have every read.I hope one day it will become a film.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- CityChic
- 17-09-23
Excellent, but rushed at the end
Touching, thought provoking book. A couple of inconsistencies towards the end and felt rather rushed at the very end which I'd have liked to have learned more about, but still an excellent account.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Book Reviewer
- 05-08-22
Heartbreaking but better North Korean books exists
This is a heartbreaking tale but the author’s style makes it feel more like a documentary interview as opposed to a gripping tale.
Therefore much better books to try first are Nothing to Envy and also Yeonmi Park’s book.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 24-06-22
Slow, irritating voice
Great story but the performance was shocking. Once you’ve got past the narration the story is fascinating if a little slow
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