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spenkevich's review against another edition
4.0
When Korea was divided along the 38th Parallel, many families were permanently separated from each other. Families fleeing the war got split up in the chaos and confusion, with some making it to the South while their loved ones got trapped behind and as generations passed they have been unable to contact each other. The Waiting is a heartbreaking and important story about these family separations beautifully told and illustrated by [a:Keum Suk Gendry-Kim|3021986|Keum Suk Gendry-Kim|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] and translated into English by Janet Hong. Based on the story of her own mother’s separation from her sister during the conflict, Keum rotates between past and present to demonstrate the horrors of war and the courage of the human spirit as aging folks desperately try to use the Red Cross’ reunification program to see their family one last time. This tragic story is told with an abundance of heart and empathy, being both a moving portrait of loss and hope as well as an excellent primer into a people’s history of 1940s-50s Korea, all orchestrated with brilliant art and pacing that will keep you teary eyed and unable to put it down.
With her first graphic novel, the antiwar book [b:Grass|41940333|Grass|Keum Suk Gendry-Kim|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1537988062l/41940333._SX50_.jpg|65424928], Keum Suk Gendry-Kim examined the life of a young “comfort woman”—a Korean girl forced into sexual slavery to the Japanese army during WWII—and the author and translator duo return with The Waiting to continue to look at the tragedies of history in post-war Korea. As with Grass, which was a biographical novel constructed on interviews done by Keum, The Waiting is heavily autobiographical through interviews with Keum’s own mother and grandparents. The primary story is different than her own experience (her mother was separated from her older sister instead of her husband and first-born child, though she does seem to appear as the friend of the mother in this book) but based in truth, and in the afterword she says she ‘chose to create this work as fiction, rather than non-fiction, because I didn’t want to unintentionally hurt those who shared their stories so vulnerably with me.’ There is such a sense of care and respect to the telling of this story and it becomes an important way to honor the past while educating the present.
The novel sashays between the past, following a young woman’s life story through World War II (she was hidden away to not be taken as a sexual slave and then married off to keep her safe) and then her escape from the North as the war began. In the present she is in the twilight of her life and desperate to be reunited with her husband and son. Having remarried and had more children, the story is told by her daughter, a journalist interviewing her about her past, much like Keum Suk Gendry-Kim herself. In present time, the Red Cross has been arranging meet-ups, with the 21st family reunion beginning in 2018 at the Mount Kumgang resort in North Korea. With reunions capped at 200 participants, only 2,000 South Korean families have been able to meet their loved ones in North Korea and for only a short period of time under the eyes of North Korean personnel. You can read about it in this BBC article from 2018. Keum says these sections of the book are heavily based on interviews she conducted with South Koreans who were able to attend. Unfortunately, hundreds of thousands have been unable to meet.
The art is ink and entirely black and white, making it really raw and powerful. There are some really gorgeous moments in this, and the style adapts to the tone of each scene very well, being able to represent calm and chaos just as effectively. Janet Hong does a great job with the translation, leaving many words in the speech to be explained underneath with a footnote for more context. I quite enjoy this style and this book would be very well suited for academic purposes like being read in history classrooms. Though it is quite perfect for personal reading and will completely tear at your heartstrings. The feeling of sadness that fell over me in the final pages was overwhelming and this book is amazing.
4.5/5
‘This book is dedicated to my mother and all the families separated by war who are unable to return home.
- Keum Suk Gendry-Kim in afterword.
With her first graphic novel, the antiwar book [b:Grass|41940333|Grass|Keum Suk Gendry-Kim|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1537988062l/41940333._SX50_.jpg|65424928], Keum Suk Gendry-Kim examined the life of a young “comfort woman”—a Korean girl forced into sexual slavery to the Japanese army during WWII—and the author and translator duo return with The Waiting to continue to look at the tragedies of history in post-war Korea. As with Grass, which was a biographical novel constructed on interviews done by Keum, The Waiting is heavily autobiographical through interviews with Keum’s own mother and grandparents. The primary story is different than her own experience (her mother was separated from her older sister instead of her husband and first-born child, though she does seem to appear as the friend of the mother in this book) but based in truth, and in the afterword she says she ‘chose to create this work as fiction, rather than non-fiction, because I didn’t want to unintentionally hurt those who shared their stories so vulnerably with me.’ There is such a sense of care and respect to the telling of this story and it becomes an important way to honor the past while educating the present.
The novel sashays between the past, following a young woman’s life story through World War II (she was hidden away to not be taken as a sexual slave and then married off to keep her safe) and then her escape from the North as the war began. In the present she is in the twilight of her life and desperate to be reunited with her husband and son. Having remarried and had more children, the story is told by her daughter, a journalist interviewing her about her past, much like Keum Suk Gendry-Kim herself. In present time, the Red Cross has been arranging meet-ups, with the 21st family reunion beginning in 2018 at the Mount Kumgang resort in North Korea. With reunions capped at 200 participants, only 2,000 South Korean families have been able to meet their loved ones in North Korea and for only a short period of time under the eyes of North Korean personnel. You can read about it in this BBC article from 2018. Keum says these sections of the book are heavily based on interviews she conducted with South Koreans who were able to attend. Unfortunately, hundreds of thousands have been unable to meet.
‘According to the South Korean Red Cross, in the thirty years leading up to 2018, 132,123 people had registered to meet their North Korean families. Of those, 75,234 have died and only 56,890 are still living, with more than 85 percent of whom are over the age of 70.’
The art is ink and entirely black and white, making it really raw and powerful. There are some really gorgeous moments in this, and the style adapts to the tone of each scene very well, being able to represent calm and chaos just as effectively. Janet Hong does a great job with the translation, leaving many words in the speech to be explained underneath with a footnote for more context. I quite enjoy this style and this book would be very well suited for academic purposes like being read in history classrooms. Though it is quite perfect for personal reading and will completely tear at your heartstrings. The feeling of sadness that fell over me in the final pages was overwhelming and this book is amazing.
4.5/5
‘This book is dedicated to my mother and all the families separated by war who are unable to return home.
- Keum Suk Gendry-Kim in afterword.
mutu93's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
lookingforcaarol's review against another edition
4.0
I can't believe it ended like that :( also I cried like five times
narrnaul's review against another edition
emotional
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Colonisation, and War
longl's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
manglitter's review against another edition
5.0
Cette histoire en noir et blanc m'a brisé le cœur avec son atmosphère et ses évènements tristes en plus d'une fin si tragique. C'est pas une histoire joyeuse mais elle reste une belle histoire à découvrir.
neu's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
davechua's review against another edition
5.0
Very poignant graphic novel about the impact of the Korean War. Definitely will check out more of the artist's work.