Without You, There Is No Us

        While reading Suki Kim's bestselling novel, Without You, There Is No Us,  I was assuaged with the concept of lying.  So much of Kim's experiences as a teacher of English at the North Korean elite all-male Pyongyang University of Science and Technology (PUST), centered around the lies of the country and the lies that the students either told or perpetrated in order to exist in the oppressive government.
         Kim, an accomplished journalist, travels to North Korea.  Then Kim, posing as a missionary, posing as a teacher, begins to investigate the elite students of PUST and the country of North Korea.  Under the scrutiny of the government,  the school personnel, the "minders" (the individuals whose sole purpose is to watch the teachers for any sign of subversiveness) and the students, Kim tries to expose the students to as much western culture and technology as possible. After all, PUST is a school of technology where no technology is apparent. All of this happens under an umbrella of lies.
          The teachers lied about only coming to teach English, in truth they were Christian missionaries.  The students lied about everything! Kim says in one part of her book,  "...I was growing increasingly disturbed by the ease with which they (the students) lied."  The deceit was epidemic because every part of the society in North Korea was built on a foundation of lies.  The government told lies about their great leaders, Kim Jong-il and Kim Jung-un and all the important accomplishments of the leaders and the country.  The school personnel told lies or created lies to show the teachers how wonderful their country of North Korea was.  The excursions arranged by the school centered only on areas allowed to be seen.  Apple orchards that looked prosperous and touted food for all but only were for a few.  Church services that looked to support the instructor's Christian religion at a token church that was actually a farce, an enactment of a service by actors and memorized parts.  What is truly ironic is that everyone knows all is a lie but fervently wants to believe it is real, because the true reality is just so sad.
        Kim creates an unforgettable picture of what an oppressive regime  looks like. The novel is compelling, and heartbreaking.  The fact that it is a memoir and not fiction is what I think disturbed me so much.  In my safe, free world, it is difficult to imagine watching every word said, and lying to protect not only my own safety, but those of my peers and colleagues.
As dour as the content seems, I truly enjoyed the book.  Kim is a talented and inspiring writer.  Her incredible courage in researching the book and writing the story has given a voice to many who could not speak out themselves.

FTC disclaimer: I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review