Nothing to Envy: Real Lives in North Korea, Barbara Demick’s incisive look at daily life in North Korea, has won the $30,000 Samuel Johnson Prize, Britain’s most prestigious award for nonfiction books. The announcement was made Thursday in London.

This book is not what it seems (a love story). Although the writing is not wonderful the painstakingly assembled  information about North Korea that it delivers makes it a good read.  It’s hard to believe that people are living in those conditions when there’s absolutely no justification for it. For us in “the lucky country”, it’s a must read.

Read an excerpt here.

Listen to the author on The Bookshow