Rating: 4 Stars

Format: Ebook, Audiobook (both available through Kindle Unlimited)

Genre: Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Asian Literature

I really enjoyed this exploration of the Korean experience in 1930’s Japan. Miyoung was a lovable protagonist that I was rooting for. I appreciated the detail put into developing her as a character and I liked getting to follow her throughout different stages of her life. I didn’t know a lot about this period of history in Korea/Japan and felt like I was learning a lot. The ongoing discussion of identity and culture and the tension between loving one’s home but feeling like you have to hide parts of yourself to fit in was so interesting. The personal connection the author had to the story made it so sweet to read. 

The only issue I had was the simplicity of the writing. It wasn’t bad at all, but it was very straightforward and plain and that occasionally made me feel detached from the characters and the tension that existed between Miyoung and the rest of the world. While I felt connected to Mijoung, I felt like parts of Mijoung’s family didn’t get the same development and I felt disconnected from them, especially Hojoon and the sister she lives with. The dialogue was sometimes stilted and there were some missed opportunities to imbue personality into the conversations between the characters.

This isn’t a perfect book but I was invested from the beginning and always rooting for Miyoung. If you like historical fiction and Asian lit, I would definitely recommend this.