Book Review: A Thousand Miles to Freedom: My Escape from North Korea by Eunsun Kim
A Thousand Miles to Freedom by Eunsun Kim is a deeply moving story of survival, resilience, and hope. Fleeing from a life of famine, oppression, and despair, Kim’s journey from North Korea to South Korea is harrowing — and all the more remarkable because she was only a child when it began.
Kim’s voice is clear and sincere, offering readers a personal glimpse into the everyday horrors that North Koreans face. Her descriptions of starvation, loss, and constant fear are vivid and heartbreaking, yet she never loses her sense of humanity. What makes Kim’s memoir so powerful is her quiet strength; even at her most vulnerable moments, her determination to live a better life never fades.
Unlike many escape narratives, A Thousand Miles to Freedom is also a story about the toll that survival takes. Kim’s journey is long, dangerous, and filled with uncertainty — not just during her escape across China and the Gobi Desert, but also in the years of hiding and struggle that followed. Her story reminds readers that freedom is not simply the act of crossing a border, but an ongoing battle to heal and rebuild.
Told with honesty and courage, A Thousand Miles to Freedom shines a light on the silent suffering of countless others still trapped in North Korea. It is a sobering, inspiring reminder of what so many are willing to risk for even the smallest chance at a better life.
Eunsun Kim’s story stays with you long after the final page — a testament to the enduring power of hope, even in the darkest of times.
Check out all my reviews of North Korean Defector Memoirs here.
About A Thousand Miles to Freedom by Eunsun Kim
Eunsun Kim was born in North Korea, one of the most secretive and oppressive countries in the modern world.
As a child, Eunsun loved her country…despite her school field trips to public executions, daily self-criticism sessions, and the increasing gnaw of hunger as the country-wide famine escalated.
By the time she was eleven years old, Eunsun’s father and grandparents had died of starvation, and Eunsun was in danger of the same. Finally, her mother decided to escape North Korea with Eunsun and her sister, not knowing that they were embarking on a journey that would take them nine long years to complete. Before finally reaching South Korea and freedom, Eunsun and her family would live homeless, fall into the hands of Chinese human traffickers, survive a North Korean labor camp, and cross the deserts of Mongolia on foot.
Now, Eunsun is sharing her remarkable story to give voice to the tens of millions of North Koreans still suffering in silence. Told with grace and courage, her memoir is a riveting exposé of North Korea’s totalitarian regime and, ultimately, a testament to the strength and resilience of the human spirit.
