Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West

Nonfiction, North Korea, Biography, Blaine Harden

Plot: A    Characters: A    Prose: B+    Language: B- (Regular bad language, authentic depiction of the language encountered. Not excessive, no f-bombs)    Adult themes: some sex, strong violence, abuse, political intrigue.

Overall Score: A (must read)

Escape from Camp 14 tells of the harrowing life and escape of Shin Donghyuk from a North Korean political prison camp, the only person born and raised within the confines of these camps to successfully do so. Political journalist Blaine Harden gives a brief, but fairly unbiased introduction to the political problems of North Korea to set up Shin's life, presenting the prison camps as comparable to the Soviet gulags and the Nazi concentration camps. This information is presented in a very matter-of-fact method, and Harden clearly tried to maintain a proper journalistic perspective when writing it.

Without giving things away, this book gives as authentic a look into North Korean prison camps as anything we have access to. Harden has checked his facts as much as he could, verifying Shin's story with other refugees from North Korea and political experts on North Korea. And what we find is truly shocking. The complete and utter lack of human decency depicted is a strong as anything I've read, although not sensationalized as much as it could have been. As he was born in the camp, Shin was suffering for his ancestors' mistakes, following the policy that political enemies' families should be punished for three generations. He didn't even experience the (relatively) normal society and life that the 23 million North Korean citizens experience outside the camps. Shin grew up competing for food from camp authorities with his mother and other family, and was instrumental in turning his mother and brother in to the authorities, which ultimately ended in their public executions with Shin sitting in the front row. He didn't have anyone truly show him that they cared about his welfare until he was well into his adult years. And an estimated 200,000 or so political prisoners are continuing to experience those hardships even now.

While Harden does an excellent job of illustrating Shin's life and experiences in a clear and concise manner that shows proper reverence to the subject matter, he does seem to hedge and cover himself a bit excessively. He also ends the book on a less powerful moment, as he moves into the issues that Shin has encountered as he tried to adapt to a more functional society, instead of the climactic escape. I do understand that he is trying to maintain a proper journalistic perspective, but with just a touch more literary-esque approach, the story would be more effectively told and received. By Harden's own admission, this book was written to help increase world knowledge of the North Korean prison camps, and its current approach doesn't leave the reader on a particularly high note. He also touches on several significant ideas that are not developed properly.

Regardless, this is a powerful and poignant reminder of the atrocities currently being committed by a corrupt and powerful government, impacting millions of people. While the themes are undoubtedly adult and no punches are pulled, it is a must read. The plight of the North Korean people is tragic and the world should be aware.

Read on May 28, 2012