This absorbing debut novel from Juhea Kim spans 1917 - 1964 and is set in Korea during their quest for emancipation from Japan (regrettably a history I knew little about). With an expansive cast of characters and fraught events propelling their lives, this novel explores issues—colonialism, racism, power hierarchies, sexual violence, and love—that are still prevalent in the world today.

Kim expertly crafts complex, fully realized narratives for many characters, all who are "inyeons" (people who are tied together over the course of their lives)...Jade, a courtesan who yearns for the love of one man, while not being able to love another; JungHo, a young, brash boy who becomes a Communist and works with intellectual MyungBo to stage a rebellion; HanChol, a rickshaw driver, whose dreams of power and money overtake his ability to find lasting love; SungSoo, a rich Korean who shows deference to the Japanese; Captain Yamada, a Japanese soldier forever indebted to the Korean man who saved his life; and many more. While this may seem like a too-full cast, the ability of Kim to fully flesh out their emotions and personalities, while juggling often harrowing political and societal realities, is truly impressive. The action never lets up and is perfectly balanced with rich character development.

And, the writing is stellar. Gorgeous descriptions of everything from the curated beauty of courtesans to the squalor of scrapping for food...Kim's talent is astounding.

My minor complaint is that the narratives got too affecting at times and I had to stop the audio (which is top-notch). And I know that it's extremely privileged of me to say that, since many real-life people lived through this horrific time. Starvation, rape, the power dynamics of colonialism, and gore and heartlessness of the battlefield...it's all rendered her in bold, detailed life.

But, that's just the thing. This is life--evil, hate, tragedy, death, power--experienced by human beings just trying to survive while finding more joy and love than not. Kim sums it up perfectly, "Life is only bearable because time makes you forget everything. But life is worthwhile because love makes you remember everything."

I highly recommend this novel, especially for those who love fiction set during historical times and possibly a time you don't know much about.

Props to Allison Saltzman and Jasmijn Solange Evans for the stunning cover and Sue Jean Kim and Raymond Lee who did the amazing narration. I both listened to and read parts of this book.