Women's History Month

I admit, I read this under a very biased Western lens, which the author herself warns against. I went in wanting to know more about North Korea and Equatorial Guinea. I didn't get what I wanted.

This is a very naïve and unapologetic "memoir" that reeks of privilege of a certain nature. You can love someone that is horrible to others. Just because they weren't dismissive or abusive to you doesn't mean they weren't to others. To repeatedly defend and try to separate dictators from their regimes is disingenuous.

This book had a really interesting synopsis, and I think Monica's experiences and childhood are fascinating. However, I had issues with a couple things. I found the writing jarring and it didn't seem to flow naturally. At times it felt like propaganda with profound epiphanies dotted in as if Monica had just discovered them- these include 'History is written by the victors', and 'experiencing other cultures is important' .
I wanted more from this book. I felt it lacked depth and nuance, I wanted to understand what Monica's experiences were like- how did it feel growing up effectively orphaned? What was it like in Pyongyang? I didn't really get any of this, just a fairly surface level tale of a normal childhood.
I also felt like the second half, when Monica is discovering more about her father, could have been more nuanced. She mentions a few times that she had interviewed 3000 people who experienced her fathers regime, yet the only ones mentioned are the positive stories- I want to know both sides, why did people view him as evil? Who came up with these tales and where did they start?
Overall, really interesting life story, but I felt the writing could have been better.

This is an incredibly interesting and different memoir. The author has led an amazing life and would seem unbelievable if it wasn't true.

"Black Girl from Pyongyang" is a memoir about colonization, decolonization, and its effects. Monica Macias, the daughter of the first President of Equatorial Guinea, was sent to be educated in North Korea as the special guest/adopted daughter of Kim Il Sung. While there, her father was overthrown and killed, and Monica spent her youth growing up in North Korea. As an adult in quest of her identity, Monica traveled widely (to Spain, her mother's heritage, to Equatorial Guinea, to the US, to Britain, and to South Korea) and the results of this relentless quest for knowledge about her world is this memoir.

What's good: It's genuinely interesting. Monica has a rare point of view and she utilizes that in a very thoughtful work that engages regularly with philosophy.

What's iffier: Monica speaks multiple languages, and I am incredibly envious of this. (The difficulty of what she's achieved is just incredible.) Still, her English writing style, while flowing and smooth, is a bit spare. While her conclusions are intriguing and not necessarily invalid, there are moments where I wondered if she fully acknowledged the specific privileges of her existence in Pyongyang as a foreign student under the protection of the North Korean leadership. She does come face-to-face with defectors, and she mentions some of the harsh treatment and rules that others experienced, but there were still times when I wanted to ask her follow-up questions about whether she felt her treatment was unique. (She doesn't entirely dismiss this, to be clear; my hesitation is only whether she sufficiently acknowledged it. And to be clear as well, this criticism doesn't make her critique of other countries any less valid.)

With gratitude to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review an ARC of this book.

I highly enjoyed first part when Monica gets to school in Pyongyang and her life there during school years. Mostly it lost me in the events after, since I believed the focus of the book will mostly be on her life in North Korea, specifically her experiences there as black foreign person. It's my fault for not understanding the synopsis, because I caught myself not getting more details about her position in society while living in Pyongyang and felt that we only got surface of her actual story.
All in all, it's an interesting read, just not what I expected. Still I would recommend it to people.

Effectively orphaned, Monica Macias was transplanted from West Africa to the unfamiliar surroundings of North Korea when she was just nine years old to be looked after by her father's ally, Kim Il Sung. She and two siblings now had to make a new life in Pyongyang.

While I definitely think that Monica's story is certainly interesting, the very dry and matter of fact style this memoir was written in made it quite difficult to stay invested.

My other issue with the memoir is that she lets her experience alone dictate her view on North Korea (and African dictatorships, for that matter). At no point does she pan out or question what she experienced as normal growing up.

These two points added together make for a memoir that falls flat, in my opinion.

Really enjoyed this, and read it really quickly.

This is Monica Macias's life story - her father, the leader of Equitorial Guinea, leaves her in the care of the North Korean leader Kim Il Sung, and everything she can remember is essentially Korean. She becomes the 'Black Girl from Pyongyang' of the title.

Interesting insight into a unique situation.

I think the novel provides a fascinating insight into North Korea and a unique take at how Monica assimilates into Pyongkang amidst political turmoil back home. But that being said, I sometimes felt like it was too convoluted with the political nature of the memoir rather than her own authentic, emotional experiences. I do think it is well-written and is something of phenomena in terms of what it's like as a black child growing up in a regime that is unknown to the rest of the world.

3/5

I’ve always been fascinated by North Korea and this book is a fantastic insight. I truly believe everyone should read it for a look into life in that country. Monica tells the story so eloquently it’s definitely a worthwhile read!

A really interesting insight into the life of the daughter of the infamous Macias of Equitorial Guinea, who spent her childhood in North Korea under the guardianship of Kim Il Sung.

That’s the bit that draws you in, but actually there is much more to the story. Monica is incredibly well traveled, having lived in many different cultures and societies.

It’s a great expose on the importance of seeking first to understand rather than judging based on hyperbole and group think.

A very different and interesting memoir.

This author writes with warmth and engaging perception about our relationship and understanding…..

Many thanx as always to NetGalley, the publishers and the author for allowing me to read and review this book.

I found this book informative and expanded my knowledge of North Korea. I have read other non fiction books around International race relations and exploring identity and this book expanded my mind further. I recommend this book for people who are interested in learning about race and Identity and for those who are keen to explore what it is like in North Korea for those living there.

An overall enjoyable and informative read. Thank you to the publishers for my copy.

Monica Macias, daughter of the late President of Equatorial Guinea, spent her childhood growing up in Pyongyang, North Korea. Her memoir speaks on her experiences while under the care of North Korean leader Kim Il-Sung.

While this memoir offers a different insight into life in North Korea, it still felt very guarded. I enjoyed reading the memories, but every time something emotional would come up, it was rushed through quickly. I felt these stories to be very surface level, and would have liked a little more detail from the author about her thoughts and emotions. Even during the author's search on information about her father and his leadership of Equatorial Guinea, I found it to be lacking in emotion.

Overall I did enjoy this book, but would like to have read a little more in-depth account of the author's journey.

Thank you to NetGalley and Duckworth Books for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A great memoir that deals with concepts of identity, a sense of belonging and family. Monica also discusses different states and their political ideology with exploration of North Korea, post-colonial Equatorial Guinea and the violence and political upheaval within the state after independence. In a way, I felt that post independence Guinea echoes the struggle for identity and stability that Monica goes through in her teenage and young adult years. After reading this memoir - I feel that I want to know more about Equatorial Guinea and Francisco Macias. There were sections of the memoir that would be more suited to essays - especially parts that discussed political ideology of states and referenced Hobbes. I felt that these could be standalone essays and were slightly disruptive to the reader. Overall, I enjoyed the text and I look forward to reading something else from Monica Macias.
This would be a great text for those teaching postcolonial feminism/ third wave feminism and discourse around identity and race at a tertiary/ university level.

Black Girl From Pyongyang
The extraordinary true story of a West African girl’s upbringing in North Korea under the protection of President Kim Il Sung
by Monica Macias
Pub Date 02 Mar 2023 | Archive Date 02 Mar 2023
Duckworth Books
Biographies & Memoirs | Multicultural Interest | Nonfiction (Adult)


I am reviewing a copy of Black Girl from Pyongyang through Duckworth Books and Netgalley:



In 1979 when she was only seven Monica Macias was transplanted from West Africa to the unfamiliar surroundings of North Korea. She was sent by her father Francisco, the first president of post-Independence Equatorial Guinea, to be educated under the guardianship of his ally, Kim Il Sung.



Within just a matter of months, her father had been executed in a military coup; her mother became unreachable. Effectively orphaned, she and two siblings had to make their life in Pyongyang. At military boarding school, Monica learned to mix with older children, speak fluent Korean and handle weapons on training exercises.



After completing University, she went in search of her roots, passing through Beijing, Seoul, Madrid, Guinea, New York and finally London – forced at every step to reckon with damning perceptions of her adoptive homeland. Optimistic yet unflinching, Monica’s astonishing and unique story challenges us to see the world through different eyes.



I give Black Girl from Pyongyang five out of five stars!



Happy Reading!

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'Love is wise, hatred is foolish'
When I requested this memoir from Netgalley I wasn't really sure what I was getting into but it sounded like an interesting read. But oh my you need to pick this book up. Monica was born in Equatorial Guinea as the daughter of the president. However, due to unrest within the country Monica along with her siblings was sent to North Korea to study and be safe, due to her father's relationship with then leader Kim Il Sung. As she left Equatorial Guinea so young she quickly forgot what her home was like and settled into North Korea life. Upon finishing her studies Monica was given the option to stay or leave and move elsewhere. Monica felt she needed to learn more about her history and the history of her country so decided to move to Spain. However, due to her visa status she had to return to Equatorial Guinea for the first time since she was a child. Throughout the memoir we experience Monica addressing the truth she's been told of the world through North Korea and the truth about her home country through the eyes of the media. This unique upbringing allows Monica to realise that media in all countries twists the truth to their personal agenda. However, because her father was assassinated soon after she moved to Equatorial Guinea she has to learn her history through the tales of others.

After publically speaking about her upbringing she often feels people are trying to use her, twisting her words to fit the agenda they have about Equitorial Guinea or North Korea. This memoir forms part of her finding and telling the world the truth.

I found this book so fascinating. North Korea is obviously a country with quite a secretive history and present, and Equitorial Guinea is one I didn't know much about. I strongly urge everyone to read this, whether you are interested in the countries or not it's a fascinating read about finding your truth and questioning what you are told.

This book records an exercise in taking what you're given and trying to do the best you can with it, and you can't help but admire Macias for doing that under the circumstances. Born in Equatorial Guinea, West Africa, to a Guinean father and Spanish mother, Monica and her siblings and mother are sent to North Korea when she, the youngest, is seven, for their own safety as her father becomes president of the country after its independence from Spain (and quite soon afterwards is assassinated by his own nephew in a coup). From then on we are given a life story which involves quite a lot of work but also quite a lot of flying around the world, and a narrative that the two strong man country leaders she is raised by are benevolent and misunderstood by the rest of the world.

Monica is placed in a military-style school (there are no others) and we are surprised to read that girls are introduced to the school just for Monica and her older sister to have classmates, matched to their height so a few years older, as Monica is really tall for her age! It seems to be that you are not allowed to have real friends, too, as the child she is closest to is only allowed to be a friend and watcher. Then her mum goes back home to look after her oldest brother, who had been sent to Cuba, and Monica resolves to forget her previous life and become only Korean, to such an extent that she forgets Spanish, her native tongue, then can't communicate with her mum (there's a long string of regret about their relationship).

Monica's eyes are gradually opened to the single-perspective education she's received, and matures from running away from an American she encounters on a permitted trip to Bejing to living in New York for three years. She moves to Spain first, then various countries, hustling away doing cleaning and shop jobs to keep going, spending quite a lot of time researching her father and their home country and working out whether their reputation is warranted (she apparently interviews thousands of people and presumably there's another book in that). The main person she quotes and bonds with is one of her father's former colleagues, who becomes yet another father figure for her.

At some time in the 2010s she publishes the book up until then in Korean, then promotes it when living in South Korea. Then later she's written the rest again herself and published it all in English, after various encounters such as meeting North Korean defectors. She also puts herself through a Master's at SOAS so as to understand her father's actions and reputation. Some of the book is a little dry and/or repetitive, and she uses some unusual terms when defining language around racism and world unity, but it does in the main hold the interest, and it's certainly an unusual story that makes you think about the reputations different countries have in other countries. There isn't much self-reflection or acceptance of what might be true in bad reputations - North Korea's food insecurity is brushed over as a difficult time for the country that people don't really understand.

This is the story of Monica Macias, daughter of the former first president of Equatorial Guinea Francisco Macias, he sent her and two siblings to North Korea to be taken care of by his friend Kim Il Sung and shortly after this he was executed leaving them to grow up there and to know this as home.
I found this a really fascinating read.
Having previously read books from “defectors” of North Korea and the terrible lives that they suffered there, it was interesting to read a different perspective from someone who had a more positive outlook on the country and to be able to look at things through a different viewpoint. We go on Monica’s journey through life as she learns who she is and who her father and adoptive father are to the rest of the world. What a strange but incredible life she has led.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A powerful memoir that tells the story of a young Afro-Latina woman's journey to discover her identity and heritage. The author, who was adopted by a white American family as a child, travels to North Korea to learn more about her biological family and the country of her birth.

The writing style is engaging and descriptive, with well-crafted imagery and realistic dialogue that bring the author's experiences and emotions to life. The author's observations about North Korean culture and society are both insightful and illuminating, and her reflections on her own identity and place in the world are both thought-provoking and relatable.

2.5 stars
Pro:
* unique opportunity to hear a first-hand account of historical people and events
* blend of perspectives, it is valuable to see frameworks other than our own

Con:
* inconsistencies in the prose
* a feeling of judgmentalism in places, despite the claims to the contrary. Sometimes “methinks thou dost protest too much.”