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alissajsage's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
gmamartha's review against another edition
3.0
2 sisters separated and reunited. Korea and Korean war.
gkelch's review against another edition
3.0
I had a difficult time getting into this one, but was much more interested a few chapters in. I didn't love it but am glad I read it. It was a different genre than a lot of what I read and the author brought to light life during the Korean war, which I didn't know much about.
hanafdm's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
ammbooks's review against another edition
4.0
I was very pleased with the skill Eugenia Kim used in switching back and forth in her novel to tell the story of a family split by war and change. Her little peeks into Korean culture struggling among all the changes that were occurring during the last half of the 1900's.
per_fictionist's review against another edition
5.0

Book : The Kinship of Secrets
Author : Eugenia Kim
Pages : 284
Genre : Fiction.
Published : November 2018
Publisher : Bloomsbury India
The Kinship of Secrets by Eugenia Kim is a beautifully stitched tale of Miran,raised in the United States in the warmth of her parents love and her sister Inja who survives in the war torn South Korea.
The book is a heartwrenching tale by Kim who gives you a taste of raw human emotions in the purest of forms.
Her mother wrapped the packages with the bags, tape and twine, using Miran's finger to tie the knot.
Embattled Inja and her Uncle's family lives their life amidst all the turmoil with their only glimmer of hope resting in the letters they receive from the U.S.
The author does a great job in potraying through her words the drastic contrast between the two places along with the parallel growth of the two sisters by the letters written back and forth.
My life grows cluttered with absent buttons, missing keys to anchovy tins, broken zippers, mothballs ane crumbling soap bars.But she is always in my heart.
Inja always wondering what was it that made her parents leave her in this turmoil, and only travel with their other daughter Miran to U.S, is devasted when she gets to know that she has only a mere 10 days to spend with the only family she has ever known.
Will Inja leave Korea to be with her parents whom she had only known through letters? Will she ever be able to cope with what lays ahead of her in the foreign land?
Reciprocating the feeling of separation and hope with Inja this book is a must read for everyone.
Definitely one of the few books that I am sure will be re-reading.
Book : The Kinship of Secrets
Author : Eugenia Kim
Pages : 284
Genre : Fiction.
Published : November 2018
Publisher : Bloomsbury India
The Kinship of Secrets by Eugenia Kim is a beautifully stitched tale of Miran,raised in the United States in the warmth of her parents love and her sister Inja who survives in the war torn South Korea.
The book is a heartwrenching tale by Kim who gives you a taste of raw human emotions in the purest of forms.
Her mother wrapped the packages with the bags, tape and twine, using Miran's finger to tie the knot.
Embattled Inja and her Uncle's family lives their life amidst all the turmoil with their only glimmer of hope resting in the letters they receive from the U.S.
The author does a great job in potraying through her words the drastic contrast between the two places along with the parallel growth of the two sisters by the letters written back and forth.
My life grows cluttered with absent buttons, missing keys to anchovy tins, broken zippers, mothballs ane crumbling soap bars.But she is always in my heart.
Inja always wondering what was it that made her parents leave her in this turmoil, and only travel with their other daughter Miran to U.S, is devasted when she gets to know that she has only a mere 10 days to spend with the only family she has ever known.
Will Inja leave Korea to be with her parents whom she had only known through letters? Will she ever be able to cope with what lays ahead of her in the foreign land?
Reciprocating the feeling of separation and hope with Inja this book is a must read for everyone.
Definitely one of the few books that I am sure will be re-reading.
thegulagula's review against another edition
4.0
The Kinship of Secrets is a fiction inspired from the author's family's life during and after the Korean War. 2 sisters were separated when they were 4 years old. Their parents went to America with one sister, leaving behind the other with relatives in Seoul, as a guarantee that they would come back.
A family tale full of secrets and hardship, beautifully written by the author. Each chapter is mostly narrated by Inja, the sister living in Korea and Miran in America. My favourite character is Ahjeossi, the loving and caring Uncle who cared for Inja like his own daughter.
It was he who knew her best, who has always loved her best, who had made her brave enough to face America - and strong enough to leave him. All of her years with him could never be replaced, not forgotten. She would keep this last image of him close to her heart, where hundreds of other images of him were forever stored. And she would return.
It's a straightforward and easy read, yet is so full of emotions. Recommended if you're into family drama or historical fiction.
A family tale full of secrets and hardship, beautifully written by the author. Each chapter is mostly narrated by Inja, the sister living in Korea and Miran in America. My favourite character is Ahjeossi, the loving and caring Uncle who cared for Inja like his own daughter.
It was he who knew her best, who has always loved her best, who had made her brave enough to face America - and strong enough to leave him. All of her years with him could never be replaced, not forgotten. She would keep this last image of him close to her heart, where hundreds of other images of him were forever stored. And she would return.
It's a straightforward and easy read, yet is so full of emotions. Recommended if you're into family drama or historical fiction.
glendareads39's review against another edition
5.0
The main themes of the novel are family, war, time,separation and reconnection. Two sisters, one raised in the United States, the other in South Korea. The Korean war kept the two sisters apart. There are deep family secrets that are revealed in the book. It's about the power of family, faith and love that bound them together. It's based on Eugenia Kim's family story. Beautifully moving, enlightening and well-written.
jcpdiesel21's review against another edition
3.0
An interesting story that gave me much-needed insight into Korea during the Korean War and its aftermath, but overall isn't quite as powerful as it should be. The central premise is strong, and the fact that the story is loosely based on events from Kim's own family history gives it legitimacy and resonance. Inja is a fully realized character with a clearly defined point of view; her chapters are effective and engrossing. However, the portions devoted to Miran suffer in comparison, as her struggles feel less urgent and her perspective is split with Nanjin's, which ruins the intended sisterly symmetry of the novel. While each separate part of the book is clearly labeled with its corresponding time period, years are occasionally summarized or skipped over and I sometimes lost track of the current status and ages of the characters. The book is slow going at first, yet hits a good flow halfway through to a strong, rewarding ending. Although I'm not sorry to have read this, I do wish that it had packed more of a punch given the potent subject matter.
jazzsonn's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
3.0
Interesting look into life during the Korean War. Personally couldn't really connect to the characters. Would have liked to see more introspection on Najin's part, post-reunion with Inja.