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TL;DR: Yeonmi Park grew up in North Korea amid famine and fear. At 13, she and her mother fled to China, where they fell into the hands of human traffickers. After two years of hardship, they crossed the Gobi Desert to Mongolia and reached South Korea. Park later became an activist speaking out about North Korea.
Table of Contents
In Order to Live at a Glance
| Author | Yeonmi Park |
| First published | 2015 |
| Type | Memoir |
| Best for | readers who want a powerful true story of escape and survival |
In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl's Journey to Freedom is a memoir by Yeonmi Park, written with Maryanne Vollers and published in 2015. It followed her widely viewed 2014 speech at the One Young World summit. Some details of her account have been questioned by journalists, and she has said that memory and trauma explain differences. Below you will find a part-by-part summary, five key takeaways, ideas worth remembering and a note on who will enjoy it.
Content note: Includes famine, sexual abuse, human trafficking and death.
Key Concepts
- Yeonmi Park: The author, who escapes North Korea as a girl.
- Park's mother: Who flees with her and suffers trafficking.
- Park's father: A black-market trader imprisoned by the regime.
- Eunmi: Yeonmi's older sister, who escapes separately.
- Hongwei: A broker who controls Yeonmi in China.
The Main Ideas, Part by Part
Childhood in North Korea
Yeonmi was born in 1993 in Hyesan, near the Chinese border. She grew up being taught to worship the ruling Kim family and to fear the outside world. Her father traded on the black market to support the family. During famine, she saw people starving and ate whatever she could find.
Arrest and hunger
Her father was arrested for smuggling and sent to a labor camp. The family fell into poverty. Her sister Eunmi left for China first, and the family lost track of her.
Into China
In 2007, at 13, Yeonmi and her mother crossed into China. Traffickers took control of them. Her mother was raped in front of her and sold. Yeonmi was taken by a broker named Hongwei, who used her as his mistress and made her work in his business. Her father later joined them in China but died of cancer and was secretly buried.
Across the Gobi
In 2009, Yeonmi and her mother found a rescue network that guided defectors across the Gobi Desert into Mongolia on foot at night, with knives to use on themselves if caught. They reached Mongolia, and from there they were flown to South Korea.
Freedom
In South Korea, Yeonmi struggled with school and trauma but studied hard and earned her education. She eventually found her sister Eunmi. She became a human rights activist and later moved to the United States, speaking about North Korea and human trafficking.
5 Key Takeaways
- Freedom can be invisible until it is lost.
- Propaganda shapes how people see the world.
- Human trafficking preys on the desperate.
- Survival often depends on courage and luck.
- Telling one's story can be a form of activism.
Ideas Worth Remembering
These are paraphrased, not direct quotes:
- Hope can survive in the harshest places.
- Education opens the door to a new life.
- Speaking out can help those still trapped.
Who Should Read In Order to Live?
Read In Order to Live if you want a gripping true story of survival. It contains disturbing content and suits older teens and adults.
Questions to Think About After Reading
These prompts work for solo reading, a book club or a classroom discussion of In Order to Live:
- What surprised you most about life in North Korea?
- How does Park describe her trafficker?
- Why does she choose to speak publicly?
How to Use This Summary
Use this page as a quick reference before a book club meeting, an exam, or a decision about whether In Order to Live is worth your time. The takeaways are written to stand on their own. If a point interests you, go back to the book for the author's full argument, examples and evidence, which no short summary can replace.
A Note on Accuracy and Spoilers
This summary is based on the published text of In Order to Live, not on any film, series or stage adaptation, which often change the story. Details are kept at the level of the main arguments so that nothing is invented. Editions differ slightly in length and wording, so page numbers and small details may vary between copies.
Should You Read the Book?
If these ideas caught your interest, the full book adds the examples, evidence and stories that make the argument persuasive. Start with the chapters on the ideas that matter most to you.
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What to Read Next
- Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demick: ordinary lives in North Korea
- The Girl with Seven Names by Hyeonseo Lee: another North Korean escape memoir
- Escape from Camp 14 by Blaine Harden: a prison camp survivor's story
Frequently Asked Questions
What is In Order to Live about?
Yeonmi Park's escape from North Korea and survival in China.
How old was she when she escaped?
She was 13.
How did she reach South Korea?
By crossing the Gobi Desert to Mongolia in 2009.
Did her family survive?
Her father died in China. Her mother and sister later reached South Korea.
Who co-wrote it?
Maryanne Vollers.
Has the memoir been questioned?
Yes. Some journalists have pointed to inconsistencies, which Park attributes to trauma and memory.
Is it suitable for teens?
For older teens, due to sexual violence and trafficking.
How long is it?
About 270 pages.
Is In Order to Live worth reading?
It depends on what you want. The book is best for readers who want a powerful true story of escape and survival. If that describes you, it is likely a good fit. If not, the titles under What to Read Next may suit you better.