In the 1930s Miyoung is sent to Japan to live with her sister Bohbeh and to attend middle school there. She soon finds out that the Japanese don’t treat the Korean immigrants well – they live in Korean areas and are to take the lowliest jobs. The Japanese kids don’t want to be friends with Korean kids, and because Miyoung has taken a Japanese name, Miyoko, her Korean school mates treat her differently as well.
After middle school, Miyoko wants to continue her studies but unfortunately she cannot pay the school fees. She asks her mother in North Korea for help but her mum is ill and can’t help out. So, she poses as Japanese and starts working as a waitress. However, she is found out to be Korean and is fired. Then she becomes a maid for an influential Japanese man. After this, Miyoko starts working as a student nurse. At church, she meets a law student called Hojoon and the two fall in love. When Hojoon gets ill, he sends her a letter telling her to forget him.
I absolutely loved this book, and the fact that it’s based on the author’s grandmother’s life makes it even more heartbreaking.
Read for The 52 Book Club Reading Challenge 2025
Prompt 49: Set in a Country with an Active Volcano
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
