The Orphan Master's Son
Adam Johnson, 2012
Even though Pak Jun Do was the son of the Orphan Master and not an orphan himself, growing up in an orphanage in North Korea assured that he would not be able to make it very far in life. As a young adult, he found his place - for a time - as a kidnapper, eventually raising in the ranks to learn English and become a translator. But after a seemingly harmless lie leads to him being mistaken for one of the most powerful men in Korea, Jun Do's life takes a sharp turn, leading him to a place he could only have dreamed of.
I didn't have extremely high hopes for this book after reading some negative reviews, but I actually ended up really liking it. It was tough to read at some points - sometimes because the story got slow, and sometimes because the subject matter got dark - but I'm really glad that I read it. I thought that Jun Do's story and transformation were fascinating. I also really found it interesting to read about how different things are in North Korea compared to America, which especially came through in the broadcasts, which I found darkly humorous. There were definite aspects of Korean life that I had no idea existed. I'm glad I read this one and I'll be curious to see what this author does next.
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