Every Falling Star, Sungju Lee
Memoir
When he was young, Sungju’s life was a lot like yours – even though he lived in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea. His dad was high up in the military, so Sungju went to a good school, took music and tae kwon do lessons, and hung out with his close-knit family.
But just before his tenth birthday, everything changed. His mother told him they were going on a long vacation to the north – but in reality, his father had lost favor with the government, and they were being sent into exile, to a life of hard labor, disease, and starvation. When the money and food started to run out, his parents left him to go search for relatives who could help them. Unfortunately, they never came back.
At age twelve, Sungju was left alone and living on the streets alongside many other abandoned children. They were forced to beg, steal, and fight for survival. Sungju went from star student to gang leader in just a few short years. But he never stopped searching for his family.
This true story of survival and escape in one of the world’s most brutal countries is a gritty, fascinating read.