Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book.Sample Book Insights: #1 In 1977, a young woman from Hyesan traveled to Pyongyang to visit her brother. She was invited to join the officers in playing games to pass the time, and she sang a song for the passengers. She was taken with the officer’s military bearing and self-assurance.#2 My mother was in love with my father, and they began writing to each other every week. One night, six months later, my father arrived at her house to ask her to marry him. She accepted with tears of happiness, and both his and hers were in good songbun.#3 Songbun is a caste system in North Korea that determines a person’s life and the lives of their children. It was created by the new communist state, and it was very easy to sink, but very difficult to rise in the system.#4 My mother’s blissful year was turned into a nightmare when her grandmother refused to give permission for the marriage. My mother was forced to break off relations with my father, who said little in return.