Overview

The extraordinary true story of a West African girl's upbringing in North Korea under the protection of President Kim Il Sung. In 1979, aged 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 months, her father was 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 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. AUTHOR: Monica Macias is the daughter of Francisco Macias, the first president of Equatorial Guinea following its independence from colonial Spanish rule. She has lived in several countries around the world and now resides in south London. Black Girl from Pyongyang is her first book to be published in English, and she will be the subject of a forthcoming documentary film.

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9780715654316

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'Monica's is an evocative memoir of a remarkable childhood followed by a decades-long search around the globe for her identity and the truth about her father. But beyond that, it is a stunning treatise on politics, power and culture. With each step she takes, Monica invites her readers to stop, think and question long-held beliefs and to ask this question: 'Is our version of the absolute truth really the truth, or is it all a question of perspective, manipulation and control?' -- Florence Olajide, bestselling author of 'Coconut' 'A fascinating account of a woman's quest for autonomy, and her bravery and determination to find the truth. It's an investigative story to understand her true father, a powerful but controversial figure, the real man behind his many personas. A woman who was raised between countries, in search of her true home' -- Lily Dunn, author of 'Sins of My Father' 'Black Girl from Pyongyang tells a heart-warming story of conflicting emotions. A delight to read' -- Dr J. E. Hoare, Centre of Korean Studies, SOAS

Author Information

Monica Macias is the daughter of Francisco Macias, the first president of Equatorial Guinea following its independence from colonial Spanish rule. She has lived in several countries around the world and now resides in south London. Black Girl from Pyongyang is her first book to be published in English, and she will be the subject of a forthcoming documentary film.

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