Linda’s Book Obsession Reviews “Stealing Cinderella: How I Became an International Fugitive for Love” A True Story by Mark D. Diehl, Fencetree Productions, Oct. 7, 2019

Linda’s Book Obsession Reviews “Stealing Cinderella: How I Became an International Fugitive for Love” A True Story by Mark D. Diehl,  Fencetree Productions, October 2019

WOW! I have to mention that “Stealing Cinderella: How I Became an International Fugitive for Love” A True Story” by Mark D. Diehl is totally unforgettable. The Genre for this is Memoir, and this is ‘A True Story”. It reads like A Fictional Novel with adventure, suspense, the chase, and some Historical Fiction. Mark D. Diehl writes an intense, intriguing captivating, and enthralling Memoir. The title threw me off, and I really didn’t know what to expect. This takes place around 1994 and goes to the past and future when it pertains to the information that the author provides.

Mark D. Diehl basically describes his family as dysfunctional and looking for an opportunity to eventually make money, he goes to South Korea and becomes an English teacher for a company. He certainly uses an unorthodox means of teaching his students. He often discusses foods and culture from Korea, which he really isn’t familiar with. and corrects the sentences that are said in English.

The cultural restrictions in Korea were mind-boggling to me. The hierarchy of respect depending on age, or status, and the way women were treated also had me feeling very angry.  There also was the fact that in business, if men were told to drink by their bosses, even if it made them sick, they had to show their respect and drink. Americans, especially white men had to stay away from Korean women.

Mark meets Jennifer, a young Korean teacher teaching English as well. Jennifer’s family is extremely traditional, and any friendship would not be allowed. This would cause a big problem for Jennifer’s family and her reputation. However, both Mark and Jennifer want to be friends, if not more. Not only that, Jennifer could be severely beaten and punished.

Both Jennifer and Mark are looked upon as outcasts, and there is a tremendous amount of danger for both. I would highly recommend this memoir for readers who enjoy a thought-provoking story.