G1196 Book Review of Forgotten Reflections by Young Im Lee
Author: Young-Im Lee
ISBN: 978--1-68411-382-8
Publisher: Self published
Type of book: Korea, school, present day, 1948--1950, Korean war, society, hierarchy, espionage, saving, dreams, nature, determination, courage, relationships
Year it was published: 2017
Summary:
In the current international climate where North Korea takes center stage, “Forgotten Reflections” weaves an inspirational tale of family, lost memories, folklore and an unforgotten history, spanning three generations as South Korea rises from the ashes.
DARE TO DREAM IN THE MIDST OF WAR.
1945. Rice fields seem endless in a quaint farming village of South Korea, yet Iseul the villagers have been starving for as long as they can remember. Their Japanese colonizers have taken every last grain with them as they are finally forced out of the Peninsula. In the newly independent Korea, Iseul and Jung-Soo dream of what their future might bring. Yet, war is on the horizon, and Iseul has fallen for an alleged North Korean communist spy.
Men are conscripted and rice is taken to feed the growing army as the Peninsula is thrust into an international war that would determine if the strategic region will become communist or democratic. With nothing but the news of death and hunger awaiting the village of women, children and the aged, Iseul musters up whatever hope she has left to bring the village together to make paper. Soon, the village once known for its rice, becomes famous for its paper, becoming a beacon of hope for their battle-worn soldiers awaiting letters from their loved ones.
Yet spies and communists continue to roam South Korea, turning neighbors and families against one another. For years, Jung-Soo has been suspicious of his father’s allegiances. With a series of mysterious revelations about his father, Jung-Soo is forced to choose between his tainted communist past, and the future he hopes to have with Iseul after the war.
Characters:
There are a lot of characters in the story, but the important ones include Kim Jia, Ji Iseuls granddaughter; Ham/Kim Jung-soo, a spoiled and wealthy boy who is determined to vindicate himself because of his father's actions, then there is Ji Iseul, a headstrong and plucky young woman who was brave enough to begin a paper factory along with Park Dae-Gun, whom we meet halfway through the tale. Dae-Gun has mastery of English because he was adopted by a minister from America along with a guitar and often acts as a foil to Jung-soo.
Theme:
The past shapes the future
Plot:
The story is written in first and third person narratives. Present narrative is written from granddaughters point of view and seems to emphasize the fragments that she found instead of the whole story as presented to the reader. The past is in third person narrative, maybe 98 percent is told from Jung-soo's point of view. While the story is incredibly detailed, I did feel that there was a little too much detail which made it for a dense read.
Author Information:
(From book)
Young-Im Lee was born in Mokpo, South Korea and relocated to Manila, Phillipines at the age of one where she grew up in an international setting. She graduated with a BA in English Literature from Seoul National University, and a MA in in English Literary Studies from the University of York (UK). She currently resides in Seoul, South Korea.
Opinion:
I am pretty sure I was asked to read and review this book in 2017 i believe, although i bought a print copy in August of 2017. What influenced me in getting a copy? First of all the main characters name is that of the man I love. Second of all, I love immersing myself and learning about Korean culture. From the summary, I thought this story would have supernatural elements as was promised, but there weren't, unfortunately. What this story contained is a grim picture of the past influencing the future in peculiar ways, because not only does the story take place in the year of 1950, it also takes place in the present, when Iseuls granddaughter tries to find out the mystery of guitar as well as her grandmother's secret past. I did learn a lot about Korea as well as its society and the year of 1950, because it's a truly heartbreaking story of sacrifice, friendship and budding love. I also did feel it's a pretty long book, but in the end it's worth it.
This was given for a review
4 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)
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