Tuesday, March 23, 2010

The Calligrapher's Daughter

The Calligrapher's Daughter by Eugenia Kim  386 pp.

This story takes place during the Japanese occupation of Korea during the first half of the 20th century. Najin is raised in a family steeped in the traditional Confucian ways but encouraged by her Christian mother to pursue an education and better life. She and her family cope with the loss of the family status and wealth, imprisonment, near starvation and extreme hardship at the hands of the Japanese who did their best to obliterate the Korean culture. It's an interesting story that ties up a little too neatly at the end. The additional material about Korean history & culture at the end of the book is fascinating.  

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