Young-Im Lee

With the world’s current tensions around Korea’s divided land, Young-Im Lee’s Forgotten Reflections is perhaps a timely tale. It’s a story of contrasting worlds, the Korea of the past with its candle lights and the present day world of high-rise inhabitants gazing down on the tail-lights of cars. The young protagonist’s grandmother, a survivor of the Korean War, has moved into a high-rise home. But a treasured possession reveals the first clue in a curious secret, sending the granddaughter eagerly seeking for more.

Author Young-Im Lee has a deft ability to present explanations without interrupting the story, a skill that’s invaluable in bringing to life the world of old Korea. Both sides in the battle believe “their cause is just as worthy—enough to die for,” and a sardonic warrior responds, “Some world we live in.” Perhaps it hasn’t changed.

The story weaves past and present, and carries readers to village and palace, to a mystery of hidden wealth in a land where it’s no longer clear who is master and who is slave. The Japanese are gone. The Americans are coming, or the Communists, or… (If, like me, you’re watching Ken Burns’ Vietnam, you’ll have even of a sense of déjà vu—the world doesn’t change!)

I enjoyed the vivid depiction of different lives in a different world, the evocative recreation of different ideals, and the genuine blend of mystery, danger and romance. Forgotten reflections reflects on the past, invites readers into past lives, and in turn points its mirror to the present. A skillful tale whose occasional minor typos or mistranslations are easily forgiven, it’s highly recommended.

Disclosure: I was given an ecopy and I offer my honest review.… (mehr)

I must admit that I haven’t read much modern Asian fiction, and even less Asian historical fiction, so when I was offered this book, I was excited to read it. When I got a look at how long it was, I admit to second thoughts. I’m glad I stuck with it because it was a great read.

This is two stories in one, the story of Iseul as a girl, and the one of her as a grandmother now suffering from Alzheimer’s and living in assisted care. Her granddaughter starts digging into her grandma’s past when they move her into the care facility. Meanwhile, Iseul herself is remembering her past.

Iseul grew up in a small village in Korea. She barely remembers the Japanese soldiers who roared through her town, killing her mother and many of the villagers. Now Iseul is old enough to help her father with his paper-making business. She attracts the notice of Jung-Soo, son of the local bigwig, and that relationship will shape the rest of her life. She and Jung-Soo become aware that the village has a secret Communist cell and soon war breaks out.

I won’t spoil the rest of the book, but I can say that their paths part, but neither can forget the other one. When they are reunited, everything has changed. Several times with this book, I thought it was so long I was never going to finish, but I just couldn’t give up on it.… (mehr)

This historical novel takes place in South Korea, both during the mid-20th century, and in the present day.

In 1945, Korea's Japanese occupiers had just left, leaving a devastated country behind; there was very little to eat. Iseul was a young woman living in a village called The Wasteland, which was part of Yeoju (back then, Yeoju was a county; it became a city in 2013). People believed that village carpenters, like Iseul's father, could put ghosts in chairs and tables that they made, so Iseul was not looked down on.

A young man named Jung-Soo, part of a well-off family, was brought to the village, as an attempt to get him "out of the way." His father may, or may not, be a Communist spy from the North. In the beginning, the relationship between Iseul and Jung-Soo is pretty rocky.

A few years later, war returns to Korea. Starvation is a constant danger, the local forest around The Wasteland is pretty much cleaned out of any edible fruits and vegetables. All able-bodied men, including Jung-Soo, are conscripted into the South Korean Army. Plain white writing paper has become almost impossible to get, so Iseul leads the women of The Wasteland, and the neighboring villages, to make paper from the bark of the local trees. They are quite successful, making thousands of sheets of paper. The women include blank sheets of paper with letters to their husbands, intending that they give them to other soldiers.

The war is not going well for the South, including the Americans. Jung-Soo learns that the North, including the Chinese, intend to push the South between two mountain ranges. At the point of the mountain ranges is Yeoju. Some of the battle will reach The Wasteland. Jung-Soo is convinced that he has to get back to the village and warn the women. They already know; some join the exodus of refugees heading south, while others want to stay and fight. The armies may be coming because of a rumored huge storehouse of rice. Does war come to The Wasteland again? Do Iseul and Jung-Soo get back together/

This is a first-rate piece of writing. It may take some effort on the part of the reader; give it a chance. It is the sort of novel that could take place anywhere in the world, and during any war. Yes, it is very much worth reading.… (mehr)