by Laura Ling
First published 2010
In March 2009, journalist Laura Ling crosses into North Korea and finds herself detained by authorities. She faces charges in the country's supreme court, becoming the first American citizen ever tried at this level. The North Korean legal system closes around her as she navigates interrogations and uncertainty in the world's most isolated nation. Meanwhile, her sister Lisa Ling mobilizes every connection and resource to bring Laura home. The rescue effort culminates when former President Bill Clinton travels to North Korea to negotiate Laura's release. This true story reveals how two sisters maintain their bond across an impossible divide, showing the lengths family will go to protect each other when faced with an international crisis.
Genres: international-relations, non-fiction, biography-memoir, journalism
Vibes: emotional, intimate, suspenseful
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, international-crisis
Setting: North Korea
Period: 2009
317 pages · Hardcover · William Morrow
Content warnings: anxiety