I know I live in a news vacuum. I don't watch television news, don't read a paper and only sporadically hear anything on the radio. Since Paul Harvey died- a close friend since toddlerhood when if I was quiet during Paul Harvey I would be rewarded with a bologna sandwich- I have heard even less. Miss you Paul! And I completely missed the detention of Laura Ling. I was familiar with her sister Lisa, having seen her once or twice on The View back when the babies were small and I could do things like watch daytime television while nursing. So, the first I heard of this book, the story of the arrest and detention of journalist Laura Ling in North Korea in 2009, was on NPR just before leaving for China. The China/North Korea border is quite far from where we were travelling, as we were near the China/Myanmar, China/Laos borders, but I was still intrigued.
The book is written from Lisa's perspective, in California, juxtaposed with the perspective of Laura, in North Korea. The women are not "writers", they are journalists and the account ends up a little dry. But, for that, you start to understand the deep division between the two worlds. I couldn't help but be distressed by the difficulty of getting Laura and her also arrested collegue, Euna, out of North Korea. Especially considering sister Lisa, fighting tooth and nail for her only sibling, had "Al" (Gore) and "Oprah" on speed dial. Friends with politicians, media moguls, Hollywood stars, she had the ear of just about anyone with power in the US. And STILL it was nearly impossible. The "King of Pop" even offered his services, and that might have worked, Kim Jong Il being a big fan, except Michael died days after his offer. This book is maybe a must read for teens growing up in a time where the most secluded and insular nation in the world is testing nuclear weapons.
Now residing on Eldest's bedside table, will be at the top of her book queue. Both my girls have asked to read this one. I'm hoping they will.
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