The first novel about present-day North Korea to be published in the West. A true-to-life tale of courage and exile, it follows the adventures of an orphaned young woman, Jia, who has the grace of a dancer but the misfortune of coming from a politically suspect family. Leaving her village Jia must carve a path for herself. Along the way she falls in love with a soldier, befriends beggars, is kidnapped, beaten and sold, negotiates Chinese culture and learns to balance cruel necessity with the possibilities of kindness and love.
About the book
The first novel about present-day North Korea to be published in the West. A true-to-life tale of courage and exile, it follows the adventures of an orphaned young woman, Jia, who has the grace of a dancer but the misfortune of coming from a politically suspect family. Leaving her village Jia must carve a path for herself. Along the way she falls in love with a soldier, befriends beggars, is kidnapped, beaten and sold, negotiates Chinese culture and learns to balance cruel necessity with the possibilities of kindness and love.