Dear Leader: Poet, Spy, Escapee - A Look Inside North Korea

I only allowed myself to reduce my rating from 5 to 4 stars on the principle that a 5-star rating ought to obtain its status with little if any, reservation. Something has me wondering if this memoir is a direct, strategic move put in action by a highly motivated counterintelligence team buried deep inside Pyongyang. While I am an ardent supporter of those who flee from the DPRK and an involved student of the difficulties as they progress on the peninsula, with this account being the first of its kind I feel a modicum of hesitation toward unrestricted confidence.

I must add my thoughts that the information provided in this account is fascinating. If nothing else, the mere possibility of what has been reported as truth, kept me on the edge of my seat as I considered it's implications for US foreign policy, international criminality, and relief aid for those still ruled by the Kim dynasty.