Author: Barbara Demick

“Nothing to Envy” follows the lives of six North Koreans over fifteen years — a chaotic period that saw the death of Kim Il Sung, the unchallenged rise to power of his son Kim Jong Il,and the devastation of a far-ranging famine that killed one-fifth of the population.
Barbara Demick brings to life what it means to be living under the most repressive totalitarian regime today.
The writer takes us deep inside the country, beyond the reach of government censors. Through sensitive reporting, we see her six subjects — average North Korean citizens — fall in love, raise families, nurture ambitions, and struggle for survival.
The book is a groundbreaking addition to the literature on the North Korean regime and an eye-opening look at a closed world that is of increasing global importance, according to a review on goodreads.com.