I have been blogging more here of late because I have been finishing up several books, reading three or more at the same time. I found the Korean author, Kyung Sook Shin (translated into English by Ha-Yun Jung), purely by chance. Her 2015 novel based on facts was on a large print display at my local library, and the artful cover intrigued me.
Themes dealt with in the novel include: hardships and poverty, desire for an education and bettering oneself and one’s lot in life, family loyalty, with touches of dealing with depression and loneliness.
A young girl is sent from her farm to Seul to work in a sweatshop in the TV, stereo factories of the 1979’s. She is trained for a conveyor- belt- assembly- line- job which is incredibly boring and physically punishing. It is the times of unionizing factories in Seul and a story of the persecution and horror the union members endured. It is political, but told from the point of view of one who does not understand what is taking place.
The word choices, phrasing, and writing in general, is poetic in places, often either brutal or beautiful. It took me a few pages to get acclimated to the “voice” of the narrator because the grammar rules etc. followed Korean conventions. Like any book translated from another language, the novel has an initial moment of “getting used to.” It is a wise investment of your reading time and carries you along with expert characterization and plot.
powerfulwomenreaders 