It wasn’t until after I finished this short story collection that I realized I had somewhat high expectations for this book, because I felt a bit disappointed by it. I do want to start with the positive, which is that I found the focus on the Korean diaspora across time and different locations wonderful; it was also what pulled me to this collection in the first place. Furthermore, I really appreciated that Yoon drew attention to other members of the diaspora who weren’t necessarily Korean American and/or from South Korea (which I feel is often the assumption). Ultimately, the short stories are a welcome contribution to highlight other members of the diaspora and their lived experiences, while also showcasing the shared connection of displacement that members of any diasporic community so often feel. I also know this won’t work for everyone, but I didn’t mind the lack of resolution for these stories. I thought it worked well with the general tone.

What didn’t work for me as well is likely a “it’s not you, it’s me” situation. More specifically, I didn’t particularly enjoy Yoon’s writing style, though it could be this particular collection and I just need to check out his other works. The prose was quite sparse, and I often found myself wanting more from these stories than what was given. My favorite was probably “At the Post Station,” which was set in Japan during the Edo period, though even this story left me wanting more.

I think I’ll have to check out Yoon’s other books before I draw any conclusions about his writing style. I really appreciated the overarching concept of this collection, as well as the fact that he had very strong and clear themes, but I wish more was done with them.