I know my title sounds confusing, but this book truly comes together in your mind after you have finished it. It is a very touching tale about North Korea and China. I read this book in a few hours because I could not put it down. Highly recommended.
Gorgeous, haunting, thought-provoking. Both desparately sad and humane. When I finished it, I closed the cover and said "WOW". It can be read in one sitting but will stay on my mind for a long time. A glimpse at the devastation in North Korea - much worse than I had even imagined.
Regimes can bring fear, misery and struggles to your body and souls. The Ginseng Hunter is a farmer along the Chinese side of the Tumen River. His meager life is paradise compared to the North Koreans who trying to escape famine across the river.