---
product_id: 105089146
title: "A River in Darkness: One Man's Escape from North Korea"
price: "KD 1.33"
currency: KWD
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 8
url: https://www.desertcart.com.kw/products/105089146-a-river-in-darkness-one-mans-escape-from-north-korea
store_origin: KW
region: Kuwait
---

# A River in Darkness: One Man's Escape from North Korea

**Price:** KD 1.33
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

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- **What is this?** A River in Darkness: One Man's Escape from North Korea
- **How much does it cost?** KD 1.33 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.com.kw](https://www.desertcart.com.kw/products/105089146-a-river-in-darkness-one-mans-escape-from-north-korea)

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## Description

A River in Darkness: One Man's Escape from North Korea - Kindle edition by Ishikawa, Masaji, Kobayashi, Risa, Brown, Martin. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading A River in Darkness: One Man's Escape from North Korea.

Review: Moving Story! - Must read! I read it in one sitting. Very eye opening and I hope for the best for everyone in similar situations.
Review: Stay Strong! - A River of Darkness by Masaji Ishikawa details the horror one man had to go through in order to survive the clutches of the North Korean regime. It’s a brutal story with a mixed range of emotions as expected. While thinking that spending a lot of time researching and reading about World War II stories would prepare me for what I was about to discover here, that was anything but the truth. It’s obviously different in many ways but there are also many similarities. It was a good learning experience as well because there were definitely some things that I haven’t learned before in regards to North Korea and its regime so that in itself made the book and story worth reading. It’s just depressing and tragic that so many people actually had to go through this living nightmare. What initially started out as a normal story about a boy’s family living in Japan quickly turned for the worst once his violent father was duped into “migrating” back to North Korea, his motherland. Being half Japanese and Korean, Masaji was basically stuck in the middle. This part was particularly interesting to me because I never knew that so many Koreans actually lived in Japan during that era. They were often looked down upon in society and had to form their own special groups and community to look out for each other. It was partly because of this that led to Masaji’s father finally persuading his family to move back to his home country. That and also the many lies and propaganda spread throughout the community about how North Korea is thriving as a country and that everyone who migrates there will have a much better and prosperous life for their family. Nothing will be for wanted. Of course, this was a big lie and Masaji’s family along with thousands more paid dearly for it. Living in North Korea is brutal and you’ll hear first hand of just how so with Masaji’s retelling here. Everything from lack of food, work and lack of basic utilities for everyday survival that many take for granted makes life difficult day in and day out. It’s sad really. Imagine how as a family to be able to survive on food rations that barely amount to anything. Having to work all day and night just to earn a bit of food to put in your stomach. Or worst of all, having to live in constant fear and paranoia that everything you say and do is being monitored and watched by the state secret police. One wrong move or say something suspicious and you could be red flagged as being a traitor and put into a concentration camp. Although my opinion is that these are common knowledge to many of us due to the stories and news we read and hear about North Korea, its quite another thing to actually read about it first hand from an actual survivor which many of us probably hadn’t done before. It really puts things into perspective similar to how I felt when I first read about the retelling of WWII stories from actual survivors. Masaji’s story is short, well written and gets straight to the point: it horrible living in North Korea. While he was able to physically escape the nightmare that was North Korea, he’ll never be able to break free from the mental and psychological trauma of having to live there for 30 plus years. Honestly, I doubt I’d have the willpower to continue living as long as the author did under such harsh and terrible living conditions. That’s why I love recommending books and memoirs such as A River in Darkness simply because it can both be a depressing and uplifting story at the same time for the reader. Thank you Masaji Ishikawa for having the bravery of retelling your story to the world. Not only that but having the courage and willpower in doing everything you could to not only endure but actually survive that horrible ordeal you were put through. We know not everything came out as expected in the end and so we’re hoping you find inner peace one day if you haven’t done so already.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #44,881 in Kindle Store ( See Top 100 in Kindle Store ) #8 in Biographies of Social Activists #47 in Biographies of Political Leaders #165 in Political Leader Biographies |

## Images

![A River in Darkness: One Man's Escape from North Korea - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81LgT4-o5JL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Moving Story!
*by T***K on October 19, 2025*

Must read! I read it in one sitting. Very eye opening and I hope for the best for everyone in similar situations.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Stay Strong!
*by S***N on December 27, 2017*

A River of Darkness by Masaji Ishikawa details the horror one man had to go through in order to survive the clutches of the North Korean regime. It’s a brutal story with a mixed range of emotions as expected. While thinking that spending a lot of time researching and reading about World War II stories would prepare me for what I was about to discover here, that was anything but the truth. It’s obviously different in many ways but there are also many similarities. It was a good learning experience as well because there were definitely some things that I haven’t learned before in regards to North Korea and its regime so that in itself made the book and story worth reading. It’s just depressing and tragic that so many people actually had to go through this living nightmare. What initially started out as a normal story about a boy’s family living in Japan quickly turned for the worst once his violent father was duped into “migrating” back to North Korea, his motherland. Being half Japanese and Korean, Masaji was basically stuck in the middle. This part was particularly interesting to me because I never knew that so many Koreans actually lived in Japan during that era. They were often looked down upon in society and had to form their own special groups and community to look out for each other. It was partly because of this that led to Masaji’s father finally persuading his family to move back to his home country. That and also the many lies and propaganda spread throughout the community about how North Korea is thriving as a country and that everyone who migrates there will have a much better and prosperous life for their family. Nothing will be for wanted. Of course, this was a big lie and Masaji’s family along with thousands more paid dearly for it. Living in North Korea is brutal and you’ll hear first hand of just how so with Masaji’s retelling here. Everything from lack of food, work and lack of basic utilities for everyday survival that many take for granted makes life difficult day in and day out. It’s sad really. Imagine how as a family to be able to survive on food rations that barely amount to anything. Having to work all day and night just to earn a bit of food to put in your stomach. Or worst of all, having to live in constant fear and paranoia that everything you say and do is being monitored and watched by the state secret police. One wrong move or say something suspicious and you could be red flagged as being a traitor and put into a concentration camp. Although my opinion is that these are common knowledge to many of us due to the stories and news we read and hear about North Korea, its quite another thing to actually read about it first hand from an actual survivor which many of us probably hadn’t done before. It really puts things into perspective similar to how I felt when I first read about the retelling of WWII stories from actual survivors. Masaji’s story is short, well written and gets straight to the point: it horrible living in North Korea. While he was able to physically escape the nightmare that was North Korea, he’ll never be able to break free from the mental and psychological trauma of having to live there for 30 plus years. Honestly, I doubt I’d have the willpower to continue living as long as the author did under such harsh and terrible living conditions. That’s why I love recommending books and memoirs such as A River in Darkness simply because it can both be a depressing and uplifting story at the same time for the reader. Thank you Masaji Ishikawa for having the bravery of retelling your story to the world. Not only that but having the courage and willpower in doing everything you could to not only endure but actually survive that horrible ordeal you were put through. We know not everything came out as expected in the end and so we’re hoping you find inner peace one day if you haven’t done so already.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Powerful and Eye-Opening
*by A***E on August 26, 2019*

This is one of those books that has been hiding in my kindle for about a year now. A River in Darkness by Masaji Ishikawa is a first-hand account of his life in North Korea and ultimately his escape. Masaji Ishikawa was born to a Japanese mother and a Korean father. Growing up in Japan, he often felt like he did not belong. However. at a young age, his father took him and the rest of his family to North Korea under the impression that they would have a better life. This is not the life they found in North Korea. They had to endure starvation, government oppression, and fierce propaganda. Masaji Ishikawa finally realizes he needs to escape to give his family their best chance at survival. His chances of succeeding are not high, but that does not stop him. It is impossible to fathom what the author had to endure. This first-hand account reveals the terror of what is happening in North Korea. This is not a book that one read for entertainment or for a happy ending. The entire story is depressing and bleak, but it exposes the suffering that the people of North Korea are experiencing. It is meant to be educational, to open people’s eyes. The book is told from a personal point of view. I felt almost as if the author were sitting across from me, explaining his story. He is very honest and forthcoming with all the details of his life. Not only did he suffer abuse at the hand of North Korea, but also at the hand of his father. He discusses how he tries to find his place also within his family, who feel like they don’t belong to any country. The loss, death, and torture they experience will make readers think about the opportunities that are presented in their life and how much they have to be thankful for. I really recommend that everyone read this memoir. It is short, but straight to the point. I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars.

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*Product available on Desertcart Kuwait*
*Store origin: KW*
*Last updated: 2026-02-07*