Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!

This was one of the most powerful books I've read in a long time. We follow Kyungha, a woman in Seoul who is deeply struggling, as she travels to Jeju Island to help one of her oldest friends, Inseon, after a gruesome accident. A horrible snowstorm hits when Kyungha arrives to the island, and as she makes her way to her friend's house up in the mountains, dreams and reality blend, and she and Inseon relive one of the most brutal chapters of South Korea, Japan, and the US' history: the Jeju massacre after World War II.

I had never heard of the Jeju massacre before this book, and I found everything I learned almost unbearably sad, but also profoundly moving. Kang's prose is so visceral and immediate: Kyungha's meandering through the snow is deeply symbolic and compelling, and it's interwoven with Inseon recounting her mother and father's violent experiences during the massacre. It is a truly gorgeous story of generational trauma, the extreme depravity humans can inflict on each other, the enduring bonds of friendship, and what it takes to want to live despite enormous personal turmoil. I savored every word of this book, and it left me feeling so full despite chronicling absolutely harrowing acts of violence. I need to immediately read The Vegetarian now - Kang's writing is so impactful and gorgeous.