Thank you to Alcove Press & NetGalley for the Reader's Copy!

Now available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Indie Bookstore!

Prior to reading Sumi Hahn's gorgeous historical fiction in The Mermaid from Jeju, I had no idea about the rich cultural heritage of Jeju Island or the storied history of the haenyeo women.

The book is roughly split into two parts - Junja's perilous existence during the start of the Korean American War as she navigates the unexpected death of her mother, her new growing relationship with Suwol and an ever growing precarious political climate which makes it hard to differentiate between friend and foe. Along the way, we meet Junja's grandmother, a cunning & wily woman who protects her at all costs. This part of the book is incredibly detailed, with gorgeous descriptions of the Korean countryside & vivid recollections of an idyllic past.

The second part of this epic novel dives into the present, starting with Junja's untimely passing. It mostly focuses on her husband, Dr. Moon, and his own reckoning as a Nationalist soldier during the Korean American War. What I liked about this narrative is the way it complicated history & strived to view each character as human, no matter what side of the war they were on. In fact, as Constable once says, "There are no good guys in War."

Overall, I enjoyed the book! My only critique would be that it felt it could be split into two separate books as the two halves are quite different in content, theme and narrative style.