The Orphan Master's Son

The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson

This book is fiction but the author did a ton of research including traveling to North Korea for his research. I think if Kim Jong Il ever read the book, he would not have been happy about allowing this man to visit. This book does not paint North Korea in a good light. If fact, this regime needs to be eradicated some how.

This is the story of a boy raised in an orphanage. His father is the orphan master and his mother was taken to Pyonyang because she was a singer.  Like Forest Gump, our protagonist was conveniently placed in a myriad of jobs and locations so that we could really get a feel for life in the DPRK.

I highly recommend this book.