Welcome to another edition of Geopolitics and Empire.

Joining us is Barbara Demick, who was Bureau Chief for the Los Angeles Times in Beijing and Seoul,

and previously reported for the Middle East and Balkans for the Philadelphia Inquirer.

She's the author of a host of books, including on Bosnia, Tibet, North Korea,

but we'll be discussing her brand new book.

I've got an advance copy here on my Kindle.

It's titled Daughters of the Bamboo Grove from China to America,

a true story of abduction, adoption, and separated twins.

I've very much enjoyed the book. I've read it. Welcome to the podcast,

Barbara. Thanks so much. So you, you ruined my week, Barbara. You know, last week I spent three

days in bed fighting off an infection. And then I read your book this week. I read it in two or three

sittings, staying up until 3 a.m. on one occasion, it hits hard. It's brutal, but I think it's a must

read. I almost cried. But before getting to your book, you know, you've got a wide background, China, Korea, Middle East, Balkans.

Could you briefly tell us about your journalistic work and, you know, what the experience has been like, which sounds fascinating?

Thanks so much. And I'm always happy to make a man cry. You know, it's one of those things.

I think what my work has in common I like to say is like I go to the places that you can't see on Google Earth.

I mean, I started before Google Earth was a phenomenon.

But, you know, now is there so much information available and you can, you know, find out anything. But there's still, you know, now is there's so much information available and you can, you know, find out anything,

but there's still, you know, corners of the world that are, you know, not visible to, you know,

all of us with our broadband.

And, you know, especially in Asia, you know, reporting on North Korea, reporting on Tibet,

reporting on these very remote villages where most of the adopted girls were born.

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