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karbingut's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
danapr's review against another edition
4.0
This book definitely provided historical information that I was previously unaware of. I had no idea about this part of Hawaii’s history and I really enjoyed reading about the trials and determination of these brave women. Willow, Hongju and Songhwa were all so different and handled their unfortunate circumstances in their own ways but managed to maintain their friendships and make sacrifices for each other. None of the women got everything they hoped for when they immigrated from Korea to Hawaii as picture brides but they worked so hard to make better lives for themselves and especially for family members back in Korea and their children. I loved the strong female characters and their close bonds with each other and feel like the author did a great job of character development. Willow’s themes of history repeating itself in terms of male family members engaging in war was also a great addition to the story. Thanks to BookishFirst and Forge Books for the Advanced Reader Copy.
erinlf_24's review
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
I am reading this book for a class, so that may change my perception of it, but I did really enjoy the story and learned a lot about this time in history. The women’s experiences in this book were truly heartbreaking, and illuminated stories about immigration that aren’t commonly talked about. The change in perspective wasn’t detrimental, I actually really enjoyed the perspective we got about Pearl and the realization she has. It did take away from the ending of Willow’s main story which felt a bit anticlimactic, but it was nice to see how her story went on.
cyireadbooks's review
5.0
Relying on a go-between, Willow, Hongju, and Songwha undertake a long and arduous journey from Korea to Hawaii. They were led to believe that they could get rich and prosper being picture brides — marrying Korean men now living and working in Hawaii. They would soon find out, however, that pictures and tales of riches did not tell the real story.
The Picture Bride is a poingnant and heartfelt tale of three young women who dared to leave the comforts of home in Korea to make a better life for themselves and their families. But moving to a foreign land with different customs and languages didn’t make life easier. Add in the fact that their picture bridegrooms weren’t exactly accurate. How could they have believed everything that was told to them? And what other lies would they uncover?
As the granddaughter of a Japan picture bride, I found author Geum-yi’s depictions of the life and times of Asian and other immigrants so relatable. I didn’t get to hear many stories from my mother or grandmother. But I do know from what little they told me, that life on the plantation was very difficult. They made due with what little they had. And it was not until they were able to move off the plantation that life got better.
It is evident that Geum-yi has conducted extensive research. As a former Hawaii resident, I am quite familiar with all of the streets, townships, and cities that Geum-yi mentions in her novel. That is what made The Picture Bride so engaging for me. It’s not like she picked out ficticious names, but she actually used the real names of streets and plantations. And yes, those plantation towns still exist till today. Add in well developed characters and you have a beautiful novel worthy of five exquisite stars.
I received a physical ARC from Forge Books through BookishFirst. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.
The Picture Bride is a poingnant and heartfelt tale of three young women who dared to leave the comforts of home in Korea to make a better life for themselves and their families. But moving to a foreign land with different customs and languages didn’t make life easier. Add in the fact that their picture bridegrooms weren’t exactly accurate. How could they have believed everything that was told to them? And what other lies would they uncover?
As the granddaughter of a Japan picture bride, I found author Geum-yi’s depictions of the life and times of Asian and other immigrants so relatable. I didn’t get to hear many stories from my mother or grandmother. But I do know from what little they told me, that life on the plantation was very difficult. They made due with what little they had. And it was not until they were able to move off the plantation that life got better.
It is evident that Geum-yi has conducted extensive research. As a former Hawaii resident, I am quite familiar with all of the streets, townships, and cities that Geum-yi mentions in her novel. That is what made The Picture Bride so engaging for me. It’s not like she picked out ficticious names, but she actually used the real names of streets and plantations. And yes, those plantation towns still exist till today. Add in well developed characters and you have a beautiful novel worthy of five exquisite stars.
I received a physical ARC from Forge Books through BookishFirst. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.
prismarina's review
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
klopfer's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.25
livrad's review
3.0
In 1918, three Korean young women set off as picture brides to Hawaii. They’ve been promised all the things one could dream about life in the U.S., plus handsome and rich land-owning husbands. When they arrive, they soon learn that they were lied to.
The novel covers a few decades and shares a lot of information about Korean immigration to Hawaii, Hawaiian history, and Korean/Japanese relations, plus the Korean Revolution.
However, I was hoping for a more immersive read. The sense of place was lacking, and there’s a distance between the reader and the prose. There was a lot of “telling” Vs, “showing,” causing it to read more like a summary of the novel. It was still nice to contrast the Korean experience with the more popular stories of Japanese picture brides.
Thank you, NetGalley, for the access to this book.
The novel covers a few decades and shares a lot of information about Korean immigration to Hawaii, Hawaiian history, and Korean/Japanese relations, plus the Korean Revolution.
However, I was hoping for a more immersive read. The sense of place was lacking, and there’s a distance between the reader and the prose. There was a lot of “telling” Vs, “showing,” causing it to read more like a summary of the novel. It was still nice to contrast the Korean experience with the more popular stories of Japanese picture brides.
Thank you, NetGalley, for the access to this book.
qomareads's review
4.0
Borrowed from Libby, this is perfect for a fan of historical fiction. It reads like a memoir to me. It’s more about telling than showing. I read mixed reviews here and there, and I get why people went from 4-5 to 2-3.5 stars for this book. There is no in-depth exploration of the characters, so it felt a bit dry in that part. There’s a huge jump in the timeline to the future, and some with no proper explanation. But overall, this one was really good for me since I’ve never heard about picture brides before and this was thoroughly fascinating and intriguing enough for me to read till the end.
A heart-rending multi-generational story about Korean migrants living in Hawaii with their struggles for a better future and fighting alongside their people for their former country's independence. A picture bride is a term used to refer to a practise in the early twentieth century by immigrant workers who married women based on the recommendation of a matchmaker who exchanged photographs between the prospective bride and groom.
A heart-rending multi-generational story about Korean migrants living in Hawaii with their struggles for a better future and fighting alongside their people for their former country's independence. A picture bride is a term used to refer to a practise in the early twentieth century by immigrant workers who married women based on the recommendation of a matchmaker who exchanged photographs between the prospective bride and groom.