Juhea Kim

A stunning saga spun with multiple POVs and poetic writing that is one of the strongest debut novels I've ever read. "Beasts of Little Land" spans about fifty years of Korea's history, starting in 1917, moving into the Japanese annexation and occupation of Korea, the fight for independence, and finally ending with the split along the 38th parallel. It's a brutal book at times, yet also immensely hopeful; this is largely due to Kim's exploration of inyeon, a word that means a connection or tied-in fate to someone in a meaningful way. Right from the beginning Kim starts tying together the cast of characters in ways both seen and unseen, and watching each person move towards and around the others throughout the course of the novel is deeply rewarding.
Just all around a beautiful and meditative book that I'd definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys historical fiction that deals with explorations of fate, the effects of war and of decision making, and the things that bind humans together.… (meer)

WOW, this was good. Despite all the reading/watching of Korean books and dramas I have done over the past few years, as I read this it became painfully obvious that it has all been either contemporary or deep history. Of course I am/was aware of the Japanese annexation/occupation, but almost entirely as it affects those who left, looking back at it now.

I think Kim does a masterful job here, balancing hope and despair, the epic and the personal. There were moments I was worried the book would stray too dark or too melodramatic for me, but Kim doesn't dwell on the darkest of topics (She doesn't shy away from them either — check the content warnings for SA, starvation, addiction, domestic abuse, and more).

In an author interview, Kim said one of the things she wanted to do with this novel was show how people attempt to live meaningful lives while the world is ending. Kim follows a number of characters here who have wildly different values. Seeing each of those lives play out, the choices they make, the things they gain and the things they lose, accomplished that very well.… (meer)