Underrated book.

A sappy, melodramatic, moralistic, didactic novel set in Korea from about 1940 to 1950, based on the lives of the authors' parents, one of whom grew up in the North as a privileged daughter of a Christian minister, the other of whom grows up in the South as an impoverished grandson of a Christian minister.

A really fascinating, beautiful, and haunting portrait of life in Korea from brutal Japanese occupation leading up to the Korean War. Having two narrators provides a true spectrum of perspectives (North vs. South, rich vs. poor) and the tragedies (both personal and caused by occupation or war) are truly affecting. Nothing has done more to increase my growing anti-war sentiment than this beautifully written book. Highly recommended!

A biographical story of one family's poignant struggle to stay together during the tragic split of the Korean nation.

“For all my life – like Father’s trusty tin cup – the Japanese had been here; their presence was as natural as the sound of faraway streams. Faraway streams because while the Japanese lived on our land, they did not live in our world.”Based on the real-life experiences of their parents, Frances and Ginger Park are sisters who create a beautiful novel of faith and resilience during the Japanese occupation of Korea during World War II. The hero, Sei-Young, grows up in the south, while the heroin

It was such a lovely, beautiful wonderful story when I first saw it I was hoping it would be worth it to read and it really does, there are so much things i love on this book but my fav part is when heisook took her journey to escape from north all by herself,the obstacles she had to go through esp that time she run her life through the border dared not looking back, not minding the bullets striking her although I was a bit dissapointed when I finished it and read the Q&As and learned that it wa...

Wow, I had to give myself a moment to reflect what I read. It's very compelling and it's hard to put down. I placed a lot of post-it notes throughout the pages because there were wonderful and insightful moments. I shed a few tears from devastation and happiness. I'm glad that my 8th-grade Russian literature teacher gave me this book as a gift. Thank you, Ms. Levine, I hope you enjoyed watching my reactions in the heavens. I really do miss you.

I finished a chunk of this book at the ocean-side, accompanied by waves, wind, and sun. A dense but tender story surrounding family and the effect that each has on the other. It reminds me of a deep longing and secrets that are made and kept outside of the light. The book ended quite abruptly, though. The story thinned and I was left yearning for more!!A couple of word strings that struck me while reading:"His hatred for Aunt Sunja was no secret, but like the soup on the stove, it usually simmer...

Another communism story -- this one about the division of North and South Korea and how it came to be. This is based on a true story and written by the daughters of the main character. (If I remember correctly!)

My favorite book :) gave me a brief glimpse of how Korea was under the Japanese occupation, how Korea was when it was united and how much the people suffered during its separation.

This was a very interesting and evocative book. I enjoyed reading the two perspectives of life in Korea each juxtaposed upon the other. It paints a dramatic picture of life in N. Korea and in S. Korea. I learned a lot about the cultures of this land. It inspired me to research more about Korea and the Korean War.

This was a beautiful narrative that sheds light on one of human nature’s dark qualities: the hunger for power. The dangers of communism and fascism are reiterated and spread before the audience plainly by the resulting North and South Korean governments. The authors did a wonderful job.

The writing wasn't impressive, but the narrative was compelling. I don't know that much about Korean history and this was an interesting story about two families during Japanese occupation just before the border between North and South Korea became the DMZ. The authors are sisters writing a story based on the lives of their parents, one from South Korea and the other from North Korea. I think the authors usually write children's books and you can that from the novel.

Really enjoyable and eye-opening story. I don't know too much about North and South Korea's history and the stories of two young people on either side were perfect for illustrating the history of the country. I felt an affinity for the characters and read the book so fast because I couldn't put it down..I wanted to see how it would end up.

I thought the writing wasn't that great but it was very interesting to learn more about how/why Korea was divided, ruled by Japan and other Korean politics/issues that I hadn't known about.

This is one of the most beautiful, life-affirming books I've ever read. What amazes me most is that the authors based it on their parents' experiences.

Such a glorious and personal glimpse into the more recent past of Korea's Japanese Occupation and the Korean War. Split into the dual narrations of a girl and a boy the story is told from many different angles, from the innocence of a child to the passion of a 20-something to words wisened with age. Loved every word, every chapter. As rich and full as a novel can get

This is the fictionalized version of the lives of Park’s parents. Her father, Sei-Young Shin, was born in the rural South to a poor family. Her mother, Heisook Pang, was the daughter of a wealthy minister in the North. The writing here is serviceable – not beautiful, not poetic, but it works. The story itself is very interesting, and unfortunately not something I’ve read any other fiction about. The Japanese occupation of Korea was gruesome and devastating. There was forced recruitment, there we...

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. While written as fiction, it is based on the true story of the authors' parents and I found it fascinating. Their mother was from the north and their father from the south. I have read, and have personally known several East Germans who escaped to the west, but this is the first time I have read about what happened in Korea. I have been to Seoul and Pusan and Inchon and saw first hand how the old still hated the Japanese, but now I have more understanding of why.

I really wanted to like this book more than I did. The story is a good one, but the writing is less than compelling. The characters are mostly one-sided rather than complex. It's a shame because this period of history and its effects on ordinary families is fascinating and should make a great read.