Every Falling Star: The True Story of How I Survived and Escaped North Korea

At times an older narrator steps in to comment on the situation being described. How does this older narrator differ from the child narrator? How does this shift in narration change how you interpret the text?

Sungju often returns to ideas about yu-reong, or ghosts, that haunt people or places he encounters. What function do ghosts and “hauntings” serve in this memoir?

Each character in the book places their faith somewhere. Pick two characters and articulate where they put their faith, what it says about their personalities, and how it helps or hinders their chance of survival.

Sungju says, “I think the worst thing anyone can do is make [people] stop believing in something higher, something good, something pure, a reason for everything—hope, maybe. God, maybe” (216). Why is taking away belief in something higher than oneself crueler than any other action?

Sungju says, “I think the worst thing anyone can do is make [people] stop believing in something higher, something good, something pure, a reason for everything—hope, maybe. God, maybe” (216). Why is taking away belief in something higher than oneself crueler than any other action?

In Chapter 18, before his death, Myeungchul tells the gang, “folklore has a funny way of becoming truth.” What role does folklore play in Sungju’s understanding of the world as he grows up?

In the Introduction Sungju refers to Joseon as a “dystopian nation.” Where do we see him invoking dystopian literary devices in the text? What effect does this have on you as a reader?

There is considerable emphasis placed on the notion of “home” throughout the book and whether home is a place, a person, or an idea. Ultimately, what is Sungju’s idea of home? Do you agree with him? Why or why not?