For many, the inner-workings of a country such as North Korea are a complete mystery. Since most of the stories about the nation comes from their own government, it’s hard to know if what we hear can even be believed. An enigma such as North Korea has always been fascinating to me. For this reason, I wanted to learn more about the regime. Somewhere Inside, written by sisters Lisa and Laura Ling, is a tell-all memoir of Laura Ling’s time in a North Korean prison as well as Lisa Ling’s attempts to help her escape. Their stories provide insight into captivity in the most secretive country in the world as well as how fame can have its benefits in times of need. After making the trek to China in order to write her story on defectors escaping North Korea, Laura Ling found herself in an interesting position. If she crossed the North Korean border, she could capture rare footage of this process. Hesitantly, herself and coworker Euna Lee decided to take the risk. With instant regret, Laura states, “. . . just as it began to sink in that we were actually in North Korean territory, we knew we needed to leave.” However, this realization came a little too late. Laura and Euna were captured by the North Korean military. Their situation created panic amongst many. By switching back and forth between Laura’s experiences and Lisa’s efforts to bring her back home, readers feel as though they are also on this journey with the sisters. On one side, readers are in a North Korean prison fearing for their lives, and on the other, they are negotiating with government officials to help their sister. The Lings’ experiences are described vividly, giving the reader a clear picture of this stressful situation. The main purpose of this book is to share a true, heart-wrenching story while showcasing the fierce power of love. Other novels, such as Between Two Worlds by Roxana Saberi, also offer insight into captivity in secretive governments. However, Somewhere Inside provides a unique twist because it has two authors. Though at times Laura’s story was more interesting than Lisa’s, the switch of perspectives in every chapter is essential for the true effect of the story. The parallels between the sisters’ stories help give the book a timeline that is easy to follow. Though Laura’s time in prison is truly terrifying, the Ling sisters fail to recognize that it is almost impossible to escape a North Korean prison, and their political connections are what helped Laura. This creates a privileged tone throughout the book. Also, when it comes down to it, Laura was in the wrong for crossing the border illegally. However, even though it came off as pretentious, this tone is a genuine depiction of their story. This book also showcases the strong relationship between the sisters. Seeing Lisa go to any means to save her sister was heartwarming. As someone who is interested in authoritarian regimes and the powerful world of politics, this book was a perfect fit for me. However, that isn’t a requirement to be able to enjoy this story. Somewhere Inside could appeal to any group of readers. There are themes in the story that many would find interesting, such as love, danger, and suspense. Lisa and Laura Ling’s memoir was heartfelt and genuine, giving readers a glimpse into a terrifying (yet triumphant) story of sisterly love.
After making the trek to China in order to write her story on defectors escaping North Korea, Laura Ling found herself in an interesting position. If she crossed the North Korean border, she could capture rare footage of this process. Hesitantly, herself and coworker Euna Lee decided to take the risk. With instant regret, Laura states, “. . . just as it began to sink in that we were actually in North Korean territory, we knew we needed to leave.” However, this realization came a little too late. Laura and Euna were captured by the North Korean military. Their situation created panic amongst many. By switching back and forth between Laura’s experiences and Lisa’s efforts to bring her back home, readers feel as though they are also on this journey with the sisters. On one side, readers are in a North Korean prison fearing for their lives, and on the other, they are negotiating with government officials to help their sister. The Lings’ experiences are described vividly, giving the reader a clear picture of this stressful situation. The main purpose of this book is to share a true, heart-wrenching story while showcasing the fierce power of love.
Other novels, such as Between Two Worlds by Roxana Saberi, also offer insight into captivity in secretive governments. However, Somewhere Inside provides a unique twist because it has two authors. Though at times Laura’s story was more interesting than Lisa’s, the switch of perspectives in every chapter is essential for the true effect of the story. The parallels between the sisters’ stories help give the book a timeline that is easy to follow. Though Laura’s time in prison is truly terrifying, the Ling sisters fail to recognize that it is almost impossible to escape a North Korean prison, and their political connections are what helped Laura. This creates a privileged tone throughout the book. Also, when it comes down to it, Laura was in the wrong for crossing the border illegally. However, even though it came off as pretentious, this tone is a genuine depiction of their story. This book also showcases the strong relationship between the sisters. Seeing Lisa go to any means to save her sister was heartwarming.
As someone who is interested in authoritarian regimes and the powerful world of politics, this book was a perfect fit for me. However, that isn’t a requirement to be able to enjoy this story. Somewhere Inside could appeal to any group of readers. There are themes in the story that many would find interesting, such as love, danger, and suspense. Lisa and Laura Ling’s memoir was heartfelt and genuine, giving readers a glimpse into a terrifying (yet triumphant) story of sisterly love.