In the Shadow of the Sun by Anne O'Brien

Mia and her brother Simon, have traveled with their father to North Korea.  Mia's father has been an aid worker in North Korea for several years, but this trip is supposed to be purely recreational.  That all changes when Mia's father is arrested by North Korean police and Mia and Simon flee into the countryside so that they will not be arrested as well.  Mia and Simon start a long and dangerous trek toward the North Korea/Chinese boarder and along the way get a taste of what daily life is like for the oppressed people of that country.

I was fascinated to read this book and get a taste of what life is like for foreigners and citizens in what has been called the most oppressive dictatorships in the world.  The writer grew up in South Korea and the details of the story were meticulously researched.  O'Brien also does a great job with Mia and Simon's strained sibling relationship and character development.  This is a book that I am going to be recommending a lot, especially to adults that like to read children's novels. (2017, 303 p.)