Book Review: "The Last Exiles" By Ann Shin

 

The Last Exiles was a story brought about by real life events involving Jin and Shula -these two Korean university students being defected from North Korea to China .

They embark on this journey of the rich v. the poor as Jin tries to assist the impoverished while enabling emotions to boil over into other realms that didn't really take shape.

The escape aspect did feel too contrived while the tensions were mounting and I couldn't help but to feel a bit uncomfortable as women's trauma was viewed solely for entertainment.
People are dying. Many are starving. Times are excruciatingly horrific.

I can't help but think "The taint of their past weighed them down...He hoped they could make it to America. He hoped that would be enough."

Would it be enough?
You decide...