This is a family saga that follows a Korean family in Japan from before the WWII to the present day. The writing is simple, easy to read and interesting. Overall a good book, enlightening.
A bit of a slow start, but once I settled in I was captivated to the very end. Beautiful book. Racism was handled with nuance and care.
Some good quotes, too:
"In the end, your belly was your emperor."
"Life is shitty, but not all the time."
This book provides a moving portrayal of being Korean in Japan in the twentieth century as it traces through the hopes and experiences of several generations. It starts in Korea prior to World War II and continues to after the Korean conflict. It includes experiences of Korean Americans and Koreans born in Japan who studied in the United States. It is a very useful lens for looking at how people from dominant cultures treat people from marginalized cultures. Highly recommended.
For all the points of interest the punishment that the author inflicted on any woman who had sex outside of heterosexual marriage got to be incredibly wearisome. It would have been better to just not include it.
