Book notes | A unique and fascinating look into North Korea
An enthralling memoir, “The Girl with Seven Names” describes author Hyeonseo Lee’s story as she defies all odds to live a life of freedom outside North Korea.
Lee grew up believing her country was “the greatest country on earth.” She describes a loyal childhood filled with brainwashing and adoration for the supreme leaders. All of that began to change for her in the 1990s, when North Korea was going through a severe famine. Suffering and abuses were at an extreme.
Lee’s family lived on the border with China, separated only by a shallow river. Smugglers operated regularly between the two countries. Members of her own family, including her mother, had established connections with them. Lee’s family was from a high songbun (caste) and lived comfortably compared to others.
Nevertheless, she began to question North Korea’s crimes against humanity. The teenage Lee secretly watched Chinese TV shows and listened to their music, both highly illegal activities, and wondered about freedoms in China. Days away from her eighteenth birthday, she bribed a border guard to help her cross the river. Lee soon came to realize that she could never return without fear of imprisonment and even execution.
A story fraught with danger
Hiding in China for 10 years, she constantly moved and changed her name to avoid being discovered as a North Korean exile and repatriated. Her subsequent story was fraught with danger as she eventually made her way to South Korea and endeavored to help her mother and brother escape.
This book gives a unique look into North Korea’s suppressive dictatorship. As Hyeonseo Lee stated at the end of the memoir, “Leaving North Korea is not like leaving any other country. It is more like leaving another universe. I will never be free of its gravity, no matter how far I journey.”
Members of the UMRA Book Club had a lively discussion about Lee’s fascinating story and thought her book provided insights into the reality of a totalitarian government beyond anything we knew. We saw Lee as an amazingly brave person and unanimously recommend her book.
—Mary Jane Towle, UMRA Book Club member
Book Club to meet August 21
Fri, Aug 21 2020, 2pm
Mary Jane Towle will lead the discussion of The Girl with Seven Names: A North Korean Defector’s Story by Hyeonseo Lee when the UMRA Book Club meets via Zoom at 2 p.m. on Friday, August 21.
The UMRA Book Club currently has 16 members, a number that works well for our discussions. Contact Pat Tollefson at [email protected] for more information, including suggestions for starting a new book club.
Upcoming Events
Our July 15 "hike" is going to be a kayaking adventure on Bde Maka Ska (formerly Lake Calhoun) and Lake of the Isles! If you don't have a kayak (or paddleboard), Wheel Fun Rentals, located next to the new concession stand rents single kayaks at $15 an hour and double kayaks at $25. The second hour is free if we rent before noon. Life jackets are provided with the rental.
Laura Ericksen will lead the discussion of How Stella Learned to Talk by Christina Hunger, a true story by a speech-language pathologist who taught her dog, Stella, to communicate using buttons associated with different words.
Our August 5 hike will be a reprise of our hike last summer at William O'Brien State Park. This is a beautiful park with a winding trail and a great view of the countryside. The hike is about 5.5 to 6 miles and we'll go at a moderate pace with frequent water breaks. After the hike, we will eat lunch at Rustic Roots Winery, a half mile north of the park.
Kathy Cramer will lead the discussion of The Bookbinder by Pip Williams, a book set in 1914 Oxford chronicling the life of Peggy who works in the University bindery, but craves a life beyond binding books but to being a scholar herself.
Enjoy a two-hour cruise on the Jonathan Padelford, leaving from the Harriet Island dock in St. Paul, boarding time at 5:30 p.m. We will have a brief program on board by Patrick Nunnally from the River Life Program of the Institute on the Environment.
August 31 is the due date for annual reports and updates. Annual Reports, Toolkits, web page updates, operating document updates and archives collections are all due each year on this date.
Autumn is a wonderful season in Minnesota so plan to join UMRA at the Andersen Horticultural Library at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Kristen Mastel, head librarian and curator, will reveal its treasure trove of publications and artifacts relating to plant history, horticulture, and natural history. After the tour, those who are interested may stay to eat lunch together, sitting outside if the weather is nice. Later, you are invited to a one-hour tram tour of the entire Arboretum that includes natural areas of flowering shrubs, bogs, and forests, family garden and landscaping showpieces, and the red barn farm
After a summer break the UMRA Photo Club will next meet September 10, 2024 in the meeting room of the Hennepin County St. Anthony Branch Library. For those interested in lunch, meet at the Great Dragon at 11:30 am. For September the THEME will be Curves
We will continue to discuss the pros and cons of Medicare Advantage. You will also hear about notable non-health plan and non-broker resources.