Somewhere Inside: One Sister’s Captivity in North Korea and the Other’s Fight to Bring Her Home

Somewhere Inside is the electrifying, never-before-told story of Laura Ling’s capture by the North Koreans in March 2009, and the efforts of her sister, journalist Lisa Ling, to secure Laura’s release by former President Bill Clinton. This riveting true account of the first ever trial of an American citizen in North Korea’s highest court carries readers deep inside the world’s most secretive nation while it poignantly explores the powerful, inspiring bonds of sisterly love.

On March 17, 2009, Laura Ling and her colleague Euna Lee were working on a documentary about North Korean defectors who were fleeing the desperate conditions in their homeland. While filming on the Chinese–North Korean border, they were chased down by North Korean soldiers who violently apprehended them. Laura and Euna were charged with trespassing and "hostile acts," and imprisoned by Kim Jong Il's notoriously secretive Communist state. Kept totally apart, they endured months of interrogations and eventually a trial before North Korea's highest court. They were the first Americans ever to be sentenced to twelve years of hard labor in a prison camp in North Korea.

When news of the arrest reached Laura's sister, journalist Lisa Ling, she immediately began a campaign to get her sister released, one that led her from the State Department to the higher echelons of the media world and eventually to the White House.

Somewhere Inside reveals for the first time Laura's gripping account of what really happened on the river, her treatment at the hands of North Korean guards, and the deprivations and rounds of harrowing interrogations she endured. She speaks movingly about the emotional toll inflicted on her by her incarceration, including the measures she took to protect her sources and her fears that she might never see her family again.

Lisa writes about her unrelenting efforts to secure Laura and Euna's release. Offering insights into the vast media campaign spearheaded on the women's behalf, Lisa also takes us deep into the drama involving people at the highest levels of government, including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former Vice President Al Gore, Senator John Kerry, and Governor Bill Richardson—intense discussions that entailed strategically balancing the agendas and good intentions of the various players. She also describes her role in the back-and-forth between North Korea's demands and the dramatic rescue by former President Bill Clinton.

Though they were thousands of miles apart while Laura was in captivity, the Ling sisters' relationship became a way for the reclusive North Korean government to send messages to the United States government, which helped lead to Laura and Euna's eventual release.

Told in the sisters' alternating voices, Somewhere Inside is a timely, inspiring, and page-turning tale of survival set against the canvas of international politics that goes beyond the headlines to reveal the impact on lives engulfed by forces beyond their control. But it is also a window into the unique bond these two sisters have always shared, a bond that sustained them throughout the most horrifying ordeal of their lives.

“Laura Ling’s literal and metaphorical journey into the vortex of darkness in North Korea, her sister Lisa’s struggle staring at it through the looking glass from half a world away, and their joint effort to bring Laura home demonstrates the true power of love and spirit in innumerable ways. Theirs is a page-turning account of not only international geo-politics, sisterhood, and familial triumph, but also a portrait of humanity at its best.” - Deepak Chopra

“I was greatly moved by reading this story – by the steely determination of Lisa on the outside, by the quiet stoicism of Laura within – and by the few brief signs of human kindness and warmth inside the nightmare, and which more than once brought me close to tears. This is a memorable and lovely book.” - Simon Winchester, author of The Man Who Loved China and The Professor and the Madman

“A riveting story of captivity and the enduring faith, determination, and love of two sisters.” - Booklist (starred review)

“Riveting...harrowing, sometimes surreal....The bond between the two sisters and the account of their ordeal is compelling.” - Deseret News

“Dramatic....The memoir reveals what really happened in the interrogations Laura Ling endured as well as the diplomatic process her sister pushed all the way to the White House.” - The State (South Carolina)

“Somewhere Inside reveals what really happened in the interrogations Laura Ling endured as well as the diplomatic process her sister pushed all the way to the White House.” - Lancaster Independent (Pennsylvania)

“You gain a real-time sense of the situation in North Korea and stateside....The sisters relay a gripping tale of family bonds and love, national pride, and precarious politics. It’s an amazing story.” - Times Record News (Wichita Falls, Texas)

“A gripping tale of family bonds and love, national pride, and precarious politics. It’s an amazing story.” - Corpus Christi Caller-Times

“Fascinating....Laura and Lisa not only relay the facts of the story, but they also capture the emotions and turmoil on both ends....The story is engrossing throughout....[and] offers a glimpse into a country well know for its secretiveness and a portrait of two sisters dedicated to making the world a better place.” - Tulsa World

“One of the scariest stories of international tension in recent memory.” - Arkansas Times