Escape From Camp 14

Escape From Camp 14

by Blaine Harden

Synopsis:

North Korea is isolated and hungry, bankrupt and belligerent. It is also armed with nuclear weapons. Between 150,000 and 200,000 people are being held in its political prison camps, which have existed twice as long as Stalin's Soviet gulags and twelve times as long as the Nazi concentration camps. Very few born and raised in these camps have escaped. But Shin Donghyuk did.

In Escape from Camp 14, acclaimed journalist Blaine Harden tells the story of Shin Dong-hyuk and through the lens of Shin's life unlocks the secrets of the world's most repressive totalitarian state. Shin knew nothing of civilized existence-he saw his mother as a competitor for food, guards raised him to be a snitch, and he witnessed the execution of his own family. Through Harden's harrowing narrative of Shin's life and remarkable escape, he offers an unequaled inside account of one of the world's darkest nations and a riveting tale of endurance, courage, and survival.

My thoughts:

Escape From Camp 14 is a very hard book to read.  It is very well written.  It is hard to read because some events that took place were very brutal. These types of camps (that the book is set in) have been around twice as long as Stalin’s gulags and twelve times as long as the Nazi’s Concentration Camps.  The prisoners in these camps grew their own fruits, vegetables, and raised farm animals.  When they got meat, they were not allowed to eat it.  To prevent the guards from knowing that the prisoners had meat, they ate it raw, so the guards did not see or smell the meat being roasted/cooked.

reviewed by K.H., Grade 10 Scona student