Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea, by Barbara Demick

One of the few books on North Korea to break into the mainstream reading public, Demick followed 6 people for 15 years of daily living in the oppressive totalitarian culture, who eventually make the difficult choice to defect, despite knowing the repercussions those left behind will suffer. Part of what makes Demick’s book stand apart from many others that attempt to expose life behind the curtain, is her astute eye and superior level of experienced journalism that relate moments and situations with a Western sensibility. Generic photographs of street scenes throughout the book augment the harsh reality of these stories.