<<Nothing to Envy>>

The last review of this book mentioned Mrs. Song's family moved into a single room.Mrs. Song decided she would use the money for another business venture:trading rice.But she ended up with the busniess with her injuries.Though her hurt proved more debilitating,she needed to gather food for the family.In fact,people don't necessarily starve to death.So often some other ailment gets them first.For example,chronic malnutrition and eating substitute foods can impair the body.It was sad that the famine targets the most innocent,who would never steal food,lie,cheat,break the law,or betray a friend.

In her family,Mrs. Song's mother-in-law was the first to go.Later she and her husband decided to move to an even smaller place and they sold more things.Herself stopped combing the curly hair of which she used to be so proud and she didn't bother washing her clothes.Her husband's health suffered the most.At last he went.Then Mrs. Song lived whit her son.In 1998,her son also died.

By the end of 1998,the worst of the famine was over,not necessarily because anything had improved but,as Mrs. Song later surmised,because ther were fewer mouths to feed."Everybody who was going to die was already dead".

to be continued!