The Girl with Seven Names: A North Korean Defector's Story cover art

The Girl with Seven Names: A North Korean Defector's Story

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The Girl with Seven Names: A North Korean Defector's Story

By: Hyeonseo Lee, David John
Narrated by: Josie Dunn
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About this listen

 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

An extraordinary insight into life under one of the world’s most ruthless and secretive dictatorships – and the story of one woman’s terrifying struggle to avoid capture/repatriation and guide her family to freedom.

As a child growing up in North Korea, Hyeonseo Lee was one of millions trapped by a secretive and brutal communist regime. Her home on the border with China gave her some exposure to the world beyond the confines of the Hermit Kingdom and, as the famine of the 1990s struck, she began to wonder, question and to realise that she had been brainwashed her entire life. Given the repression, poverty and starvation she witnessed surely her country could not be, as she had been told “the best on the planet”?

Aged seventeen, she decided to escape North Korea. She could not have imagined that it would be twelve years before she was reunited with her family.

©2015 Hyeonseo Lee (P)2015 HarperCollins Publishers Limited Asia Cultural & Regional Freedom & Security Politicians Politics & Activism Politics & Government World Emotionally Gripping China Imperial Japan

Critic Reviews

"The most riveting TED talk ever." (Oprah)
"This is a powerful story of an escapee from North Korea. In the hallowed meeting rooms of the United Nations in New York, ambassadors from North Korea recently sought to shout down stories like this. But these voices will not be silenced. Eventually freedom will be restored. History will vindicate Hyeonseo Lee and those like her for the risks they ran so that their bodies and their minds could be free. And so that we could know the truth." (Michael Kirby, chair of the UN commission on human rights abuses in North Korea)

"When I first met Hyeonseo Lee, the unflinching manner in which she told her story was inspirational. She experienced hunger, coldness, fear, terror, threats and pursuit. All this she had to endure, simply for being a North Korean refugee. But the one thing that she held on to was her humanity, ever stronger as she continuously sublimated her hardships into hope. This is a sad and beautiful story of a girl who could not even keep her name, yet overcome all with the identity of what it is to be human." (Jang Jin-sung, author of Dear Leader: Poet, Spy, Escapee - A Look Inside North Korea)
All stars
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A great read that was gripping, inspiring and informative. A true inside story that informs a great deal about North Korea and is inspirational in its core message about courage,generosity and the value of freedom.

A wonderful story of loyalty, honesty and independence.

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My husband and I listened to this audiobook together and were repeatedly astounded at the life lived, the unrelenting battles at every turn, the brave fight at each threat. Thank you for sharing your story Hyeonseo Lee, you are a remarkable and admirable person. The book was an easy listen with a strong performance by Josie Dunn.

How can a human bear this much and keep standing?!

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A fascinating insight into the culture, indoctrination and lifestyle of everyday people suffering under the closed North Korean dictatorship, and the difficulties faced by those who attempt escape.

North Korean Suffering

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Great story, sometimes I tire of the egos of autobiographers, but this was amazing. I did not enjoy the narrator; I found her much too British for the part. I think a much more neutral accent would have been more appropriate.

Wow! Amazing story

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This was a great story deserving of an equally great narrator. This is not to say that for other books, this narrator wouldn’t have been suitable. But for this book, a narrator with a very British accent lacked integrity and, in my opinion, was extremely inauthentic.
The narrator also didn’t seem able to adequately interpret the many characters. I gave up a few times because of her, only returning to the book because it’s such an important story and I felt I owed it to the author to finish.
Amazon, if a book is written by an Asian author then please honour the story and hire the most suitable Asian narrator. You really lack in this area and I would love to see you do better.
Otherwise, a great book that gives a good insight into the daily plight of North Koreans.
(Ps. I wanted to give the narration 0 stars but am now allowed. Apparently I have to give at least 1, so I will give it 1.)

Great story, terrible choice of narrator

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I learnt so much through this book. A gruelling, harrowing tale of survival, many times against all odds. The strangest choice of accent for narration was quite unfortunate and really made me cringe an awful lot.

fascinating but oddest choice of narrator

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Incredible bravery. Thank you for sharing your story. So important for the world to understand the plight of North Koreans.

Incredible

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Awfully read, would have been more suitable for an Asian woman. Content was worth it though

Superb story, very well written

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I have the Kindle version of this and have just finished the audio book, which I preferred.

what an incredible woman with an amazing strength of character.

I enjoyed every part of this book and found it hard to stop listening to it.

amazing book!

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Could not stop listening, amazing story of strength and courage.
The English accent of the narrator was a very odd choice

Amazing story, odd choice for the narrator

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.