Reviews

Palimpsest: Documents from a Korean Adoption by Lisa Wool-Rim Sjöblom

linebech's review against another edition

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emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.25

_seashells_'s review against another edition

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5.0

This is a brilliant, moving graphic memoir. I read it in one sitting. I couldn't bear to put it down.

coffeecomrade's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective medium-paced

4.5

isa_99's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective medium-paced

5.0

riotsquirrrl's review

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3.0

This work really doesn't succeed as a work of sequential art. A lot of the work is made up of emails between the author and officials in Korea. The author also tends to draw people in a very stylized manner, with only the hair styles changing, which made it difficult to tell the difference between all of the characters.

I also get the impression that there's no amount of information that would actually satisfy the author. There is a hole in her that no other person can fill, and she seems unable to comprehend why her mother would want to leave the past behind.

I admit that I have somewhat of an idea of what the other side looks like. My aunt had given up a daughter for adoption and it had been a secret until a genetic test revealed the past. And my aunt still hasn't met her daughter in person, more than a year later. There are lots of complicated feelings and lots of shame involved. And so I find myself feeling like the author is being extremely intrusive especially when the author makes mention of how much fallout her mother would experience if it became known she had a child out of wedlock.

tvaxie's review against another edition

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emotional informative medium-paced

4.25

vickie101101's review against another edition

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5.0

I knew little about Korean adoption before reading this book. Throughout this book, you understand the author's complex feelings surrounding her adoption. The struggle dealing with these various organizations just to try and find out information about yourself is outstanding.

alterego's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

raeraethelibrarian's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

annarod's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.0