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rachel45's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
booksarebetter's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to like this more but it was slow and I just couldn't keep my interest on it. It was good writing and around an important subject matter in history, however I just had a hard time connecting with any of the characters. I may try to reread this one again in the future. For now I'm giving this a solid 3 ⭐.
bookishbek's review against another edition
3.5
For those looking to learn more about Korean and Hawaiian history, Lee Geum-yi's book offers an insight into the lives of picture brides.
Willow leaves her home in Korea for the promise of a better life in Hawaii as a picture bride, but one she arrives, she learns that she won't be able to continue her education, nor is her husband a wealthy landowner like she was told. Faced with a different future than she expected, Willow works to provide a better life for her family.
I wasn't familiar with the concept of picture brides - women who left their native country of Korea to marry Korean immigrants in Hawaii, nor was I aware of how deeply invested in the fate of their homeland Korean immigrants were.
I liked Willow and definitely rooted for her throughout the book. She was a strong woman, working hard for her family. I really liked the friendship among all of the picture brides in the story. They might have left their families behind in Korea, but they formed their own family together.
If you want to learn more about a piece of history that isn't widely known, I recommend this read.
Willow leaves her home in Korea for the promise of a better life in Hawaii as a picture bride, but one she arrives, she learns that she won't be able to continue her education, nor is her husband a wealthy landowner like she was told. Faced with a different future than she expected, Willow works to provide a better life for her family.
I wasn't familiar with the concept of picture brides - women who left their native country of Korea to marry Korean immigrants in Hawaii, nor was I aware of how deeply invested in the fate of their homeland Korean immigrants were.
I liked Willow and definitely rooted for her throughout the book. She was a strong woman, working hard for her family. I really liked the friendship among all of the picture brides in the story. They might have left their families behind in Korea, but they formed their own family together.
If you want to learn more about a piece of history that isn't widely known, I recommend this read.
hellylp's review
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Enjoyed this book so much I was really disappointed when I finished it
books_inthewild's review
4.0
As a lover of historical fiction, I truly enjoyed reading this novel of a new time & place in history I haven’t read much of before. The story of Korean picture brides immigrating to Hawaii for a better life was so inspiring, heart breaking, and interesting.
The character of Willow, and her relationship with her friends (more like sisters) Hongju and Songhwa, was a beautiful way to frame their stories & journey. I admired their strength throughout, and their loyalty to one another.
My only critique was that sometimes it felt about more like a non-fiction history text when describing the politics of Korea at that time. I found most of the information interesting, but at times it distracted a bit from the story.
Thank you to the Forge publicity and the author for an advanced Uncorrected copy of this book through goodreads.
The character of Willow, and her relationship with her friends (more like sisters) Hongju and Songhwa, was a beautiful way to frame their stories & journey. I admired their strength throughout, and their loyalty to one another.
My only critique was that sometimes it felt about more like a non-fiction history text when describing the politics of Korea at that time. I found most of the information interesting, but at times it distracted a bit from the story.
Thank you to the Forge publicity and the author for an advanced Uncorrected copy of this book through goodreads.
atan1101's review
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
nirna_fairuzati's review
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
mckenzie_reads's review
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.25
While I liked the concept, the writing was very dry and felt more like a series of facts being stated rather than a story being told.
lacyann's review against another edition
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.25
theeuphoriczat's review against another edition
4.0
"However, a mother doesn't have the power to determine the life of her children just because she has, she says, devoted her life to them."
Begins in 1917, were we meet three Korean women who decide to marry men they had never met on the world of a woman in their village. All three women have reasons for leaving home, one of them a young widow (Hongju), another the granddaughter of a shaman (Songhwa) and one (Willow) hoping that Hawaii would be the place the education that she cannot get in Korea. All three of them board the ship to Hawaii but on arrival, their husbands have a different disposition to there picture. Hongju's groom is 20 years older than his picture, Songhwa's groom is a drunkard and Willow's groom looks like his picture but he does not want her because he has loved and lost.
Through the events of the book, we follow them as they settle into their lives in Hawaii, with frequent relocations; all their dreams and hopes are dashed and rebuilt; they lost loved ones and built a community; and when they began to have children, they pushed for them to be better and in doing so ruined and built bridges.
I really enjoyed this book. It is one of those quiet books that just packs a mighty punch. And because it is an historical novel, we get to see the impact of so many wars on the family's represented in this book and the community they built to protect themselves. The book explores motherhood, family, culture, race and most importantly friendship.
Begins in 1917, were we meet three Korean women who decide to marry men they had never met on the world of a woman in their village. All three women have reasons for leaving home, one of them a young widow (Hongju), another the granddaughter of a shaman (Songhwa) and one (Willow) hoping that Hawaii would be the place the education that she cannot get in Korea. All three of them board the ship to Hawaii but on arrival, their husbands have a different disposition to there picture. Hongju's groom is 20 years older than his picture, Songhwa's groom is a drunkard and Willow's groom looks like his picture but he does not want her because he has loved and lost.
Through the events of the book, we follow them as they settle into their lives in Hawaii, with frequent relocations; all their dreams and hopes are dashed and rebuilt; they lost loved ones and built a community; and when they began to have children, they pushed for them to be better and in doing so ruined and built bridges.
I really enjoyed this book. It is one of those quiet books that just packs a mighty punch. And because it is an historical novel, we get to see the impact of so many wars on the family's represented in this book and the community they built to protect themselves. The book explores motherhood, family, culture, race and most importantly friendship.