This is the first book published in the Western World who's author is a north korean person still living in North Korea. The only reason why we have access to this book it's because Bandi (a fictional name, used to cover the true identity of the author in order to protect his freedom and even his life) was able to smuggle the book out of North Korea and make it get to a friend of his who is a political refugee in South Korea.

The book is composed of seven different short stories, each one portray's a certain aspect of people's lifes in North Korea: the political persecutions, the severe and brutal fear system that the regime has installed in the country, the extreme poverty that affects North Korea, the lack of food and of the most basic objects (to the point that people sleep all night in front of the government warehouses in order to try to have access to food), the way that the regime is completely corrupt and the leaders take absolutely arbitrary decisions against people or in their personal favour using their power. Not only the higher ranks of state, but even at the most low level of the communist party of the country.

A required literature to everyone who wants to have a more clear idea of one of the most brutal political regimes in the world, and one of the most poor and needing people in the planet.