Seo Young-In, literary critic
‘The exuberant, self-determined protagonist who worked, fought, and loved, captivates readers the whole time.’
J. Koh, author of The Liberators:
Park’s feminist historical novel, set during Japanese-occupied Korea, urges us to look closely at the words Heinz Insu Fenkl has expressed: “Even when the possibility of death is real, approaching your fear, embracing it, hoping someone might be able to use your dead body as a stepping-stone to move forward toward freedom.” Park dares to ask this century’s most critical socio-political, economic, and ethical questions. This novel is a part of Korean history that can be vital to promote a global consciousness. Among the piercing cicadas, the winds of West Gando, a bellyful of gunpowder, a rubber factory, the taste of chestnut, one feels the pounding hearts of the mothers, daughters, and wives of Korea.’
