Description: Paek Nam-nyong's Friend is a tale of marital intrigue, abuse, and divorce in North Korea. This groundbreaking translation of one of North Korea's most popular writers offers English-language readers a page-turner full of psychological tension as well as a revealing portrait of a society that is typically seen as closed to the outside world.
Review Quotes: This tender, witty novel is indeed a page-turner. Neither a searing indictment of the regime nor a propaganda screed, Friend illuminates the personal rather than the political, the daily trials of workplace conflicts and marital woes. In doing so, it sharpens our ability to see the fragility and messy humanity in lives too often obscured by state agendas.-- "The Guardian"