Grass by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim

This is a graphic memoir of Granny Lee Ok-sun, who as a young girl was abducted and forced to serve as a Korean "comfort woman" for the Japanese army during World War II. Accompanied by Gendry-Kim's black ink drawings, it makes for a dark, yet expressive story,depicting the heavy costs of war and poverty. I would highly recommend this for graphic novel fans. It's heart breaking, but it's soooo good.

Oh my goodness. This graphic novel. The feels...

480 pages

Read Harder Task #4

Go: A Coming of Age Novel by Kazuki Kaneshiro

Go: A Coming of Age Novel by Kazuki Kaneshiro
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a YA story about a Korean student, who goes to a Japanese school. I think the translation is solid (no complaints about the writing), and the audiobook is good.

This started out okay and had my attention, but it quickly lost steam. I confess, I don't even recall how it ended, and I just finished reading it yesterday. It felt more like a character study, or a window view at a certain kind of character, rather than a truly cohesive story. There were some interesting parts, but I just don't love this.

Book 189 read in 2018

Pages: 172

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

Summary: "In this gorgeous, page-turning saga, four generations of a poor Korean immigrant family fight to control their destiny in 20th-century Japan, exiled from a home they never knew." - Amazon

This is a wonderfully written novel that begins with a young girl who makes a choice which alters her life forever.  The novel follows her path and those of her children and grandchildren, pulling you in seamlessly through simple, eloquent prose.  I was engrossed.  I was enthralled.  I was utterly lost in their world - until the last fifth or so of the book (hence the 4/5 rating).  That being said, this novel is worth it.  

Pick it up.  

4/5

496 pages