The Orphan Master's Son

I very much enjoyed The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson.  It is set in North Korea and follows the life of a man who is unsure of his origins as he is an "orphan".  The first part of the book we see his life as Jun Do.  We learn a lot about his character.  In Part 2, he has another identity and lives his life accordingly.  Part 2 is very suspenseful as the story is told in flashbacks and we meet a new character whose job is to "persuade" prisoners to tell their stories.  Throughout the book the reader learns what it is like to live in this harsh regime.  The "elite" of course have different lifestyles to those on the lower rungs where people are sent to harsh prisons or "retirement" villages.  Even the elite are not immune to that harsh treatment if for some reason they get on the wrong side of the "Dear Leader".  Paranoia and fear are used to keep the people "under the thumb."  The author has based his story on his extensive research.  Though it is grim reading at times, this is a haunting masterpiece which deserved its award as the Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction 2013. 5/5