snwsandy's review against another edition
5.0
A fictional story about a young adopted Korean American who meets her grandmother for the first time in South Korea and learns of her grandmother's story of being forced to be a comfort woman during the Japanese occupation of Korea and the ups and downs that her life has led her through Korea's history. Although the book is fiction, the story could be very true since the experiences were written based on the many stories experienced by comfort women of Korea. When I lived in Korea, I was fortunate to visit the House of Sharing in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea and meet a few of these amazing women. Their past is truly horrifying by no choice of their own (many kidnapped or tricked by the Japanese), but they have grown up to be such enjoyably sweet ladies, much like the grandmother within this book. I could see how this book may be hard for others to read and understand. The stories of the comfort woman are hidden due to shame and pride. However, I could truly envision the story and the landscape of Korea (including the red light district of Camp Humphrey's) and the actions of Japanese and fellow Koreans since I used to call South Korea my home for several years. A very enjoyable and good read!
kim3100's review against another edition
5.0
I feel this is a book that everyone should read. History has a tendency of dusting away some of the worst aspects of humanity when war happens. Comfort woman is something that surely happens, because men always feel that they have a right to it! How can these little girls defend themselves. On top of that their viewed in a wrong way. They suffered their faith! Just like rape victims now are viewed sometimes at this time and age. Remember, They never asked for it!
afs259's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
blue_bell2001's review against another edition
4.0
Tthe book was an emotional roller-coaster and a lot to take in, but I'm glad I read it. I rated this book 4 stars but the writing deserves 2. However, the story needs to be told and I appreciate the author for taking on such a daring book.
This book leaves me conflicted as the story was amazing but the protagonist was underdeveloped and annoying. She makes idiotic decisions and I feel like these aspects of the book could have been written better. I understand that her carelessness with the comb was a plot device, but did he have to make her so stupid? We hardly know anything about her, but somehow we're supposed to believe she's "special"?? Show me why she's special, don't just tell me.
This book leaves me conflicted as the story was amazing but the protagonist was underdeveloped and annoying. She makes idiotic decisions and I feel like these aspects of the book could have been written better. I understand that her carelessness with the comb was a plot device, but did he have to make her so stupid? We hardly know anything about her, but somehow we're supposed to believe she's "special"?? Show me why she's special, don't just tell me.
ramalam98's review
This felt too much like trauma porn to me, with the rape scenes the only things that are written with any detail. William Andrews you do not need to specify how big the penis is when you’re writing about women being raped.
Aside from that I just wasn’t enjoying it, it felt badly written and there didn’t seem to be any character development.
I will read more about the topic of comfort women from non-fiction sources.
Aside from that I just wasn’t enjoying it, it felt badly written and there didn’t seem to be any character development.
I will read more about the topic of comfort women from non-fiction sources.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, and Rape
sweetkalechip's review
4.0
This book was a very compelling and quick read, both because of the content and the prose - two things I have opposing opinions on.
The story of Korean women forced to work as sex slaves for Japanese soldiers during WWII is a dark topic, but one that is important to address. The fact that the author didn't shy away from the brutality of the situation, didn't gloss over the details that made it horrific. And yet, I have a lot of praise for the author and the fact that he (intentionally, according to the Q&A in the book) didn't write the first rape scene (or the others) in real time or explicit detail. This is a fine line when writing traumatic scenes, and it's very easy to create a sort of torture porn.
The story of Jae-hee, who was made to be a comfort woman, was compelling and inspiring. The pace was just right and the plot points came across as realistic - important in historical fiction.
The only thing I disliked about the book was the prose. It was quite choppy, with short sentences and abrupt time jumps. This was made more glaring because, sometimes, the prose would slip into a more poetic and descriptive style. The parts from the perspective of the main, contemporary character - Anna/Ja-young - were even simpler prose, perhaps in an attempt to emulate a 20 year old girl.
The prose seemed out of place because, repeatedly, it was pointed out that the two narrators were very smart women: Jae-hee, though not formally educated, was brilliant with languages and excelled in the corporate world; Anna was a college student who scored in the top 5% of LSAT testers.
All in all, I think the book was solid, and I was willing to settle into the prose for the sake of the story - beautifully woven through history and fiction, and which held it's cards close to it's chest until the very end.
The story of Korean women forced to work as sex slaves for Japanese soldiers during WWII is a dark topic, but one that is important to address. The fact that the author didn't shy away from the brutality of the situation, didn't gloss over the details that made it horrific. And yet, I have a lot of praise for the author and the fact that he (intentionally, according to the Q&A in the book) didn't write the first rape scene (or the others) in real time or explicit detail. This is a fine line when writing traumatic scenes, and it's very easy to create a sort of torture porn.
The story of Jae-hee, who was made to be a comfort woman, was compelling and inspiring. The pace was just right and the plot points came across as realistic - important in historical fiction.
The only thing I disliked about the book was the prose. It was quite choppy, with short sentences and abrupt time jumps. This was made more glaring because, sometimes, the prose would slip into a more poetic and descriptive style. The parts from the perspective of the main, contemporary character - Anna/Ja-young - were even simpler prose, perhaps in an attempt to emulate a 20 year old girl.
The prose seemed out of place because, repeatedly, it was pointed out that the two narrators were very smart women: Jae-hee, though not formally educated, was brilliant with languages and excelled in the corporate world; Anna was a college student who scored in the top 5% of LSAT testers.
All in all, I think the book was solid, and I was willing to settle into the prose for the sake of the story - beautifully woven through history and fiction, and which held it's cards close to it's chest until the very end.
echo86's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
mrspenningalovesbooks's review against another edition
5.0
This historical fiction read was traumatically beautiful- I folding a story of pain, strength, and survival despite the men who try to keep her down. It is a story I knew nothing about- in the Korean War history books, they choose not to include the horrific details of comfort women. “The Little seed split apart and began to climb to a world it could not see. Imagine the courage it had! It did not know what it would find when it broke through the surface... but the seed courageously pushed on so that one day it could become a beautiful flower. If you do not have courage, You will never blossom into the flower you were meant to be.”