There was a flurry about this book when it first came out but I didn't get to it right away. Now it showed up on the list for the tournament of books and I'm so glad that it did. This is such a powerful book, I started listening on audio which was FABULOUS but had to switch to the paper copy because I could not carve out enough time to finish the audio over several days and was anxious to finish the book. Then, when I got to the end, I wanted to finish it but was scared of how it might end so DIDN'T want to finish it. I've not been that "vested" in the outcome of a novel for a LONG time.
The story is centered in North Korea where we meet Jun Do and learn about his life living in an orphanage, even though he is not an orphan. As the title gives away, he is the son of the orphan master. Still, being an orphan is not a positive thing in North Korea and since he grew up in an orphanage, he is assumed to be an orphan. Jun Do goes through a series of hard and depressing jobs and then finds himself in jail and then things start getting REALLY interesting.
There is so much depth to this story...we get a look at life in North Korea, a place the author actually visited. Is there a way to develop or keep a personality in a system based on so much oppression? Are the daily struggles for food and survival the hardest part? How does this compare with the struggle for personal development and the pursuit of happiness or authenticity compare?
This book will get you thinking and make you feel fortunate.
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