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ladyr's review
3.0
3.5 stars.
The history behind this story is one I am ashamed to say I knew nothing about and I am very glad I now know about this horrific part of history. The first 200 pages or so make for some brutal reading.
However as a novel something just didn’t gel for me - I didn’t like the present tense narrative sections and Anna as a character just seemed naive and immature.
I also thought the comb part of the story was over-hyped.
Maybe - because it was written by a man - it lacked some of the subtlety and more emotional nuances required to really make this story ring true for me (although I admire the author massively for his passion and dedication to his research of the subject).
The history behind this story is one I am ashamed to say I knew nothing about and I am very glad I now know about this horrific part of history. The first 200 pages or so make for some brutal reading.
However as a novel something just didn’t gel for me - I didn’t like the present tense narrative sections and Anna as a character just seemed naive and immature.
I also thought the comb part of the story was over-hyped.
Maybe - because it was written by a man - it lacked some of the subtlety and more emotional nuances required to really make this story ring true for me (although I admire the author massively for his passion and dedication to his research of the subject).
ellik6612's review
dark
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Haunting and deeply sad inspired by true events. Not particularly well written but not awfully so, the modern day part was weak. It seemed well researched (?), but I felt uncomfortable reading this deeply personal, emotional and graphically violent story that affected Korean women, written by a white American man. I feel that stories like this should be written by the people who experienced them or were affected by these events. The author seems well intentioned but I'm not sure it was his story to tell.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, and Murder
danyb's review against another edition
3.0
I had never heard of comfort women before I read this book.
It was eye opening and distressing, especially since proper reparations have still not been made to this day - this is appalling.
The book was easy to read despite the heavy topics. The characters were compelling and I read it one sitting.
Definitely a book that people should read.
It was eye opening and distressing, especially since proper reparations have still not been made to this day - this is appalling.
The book was easy to read despite the heavy topics. The characters were compelling and I read it one sitting.
Definitely a book that people should read.
iamerline's review against another edition
4.0
I couldn't put this book down and got through it quickly. It was gripping, tragic and infuriating in equal measure. Before reading this book I had never heard of comfort women, the author approached this subject matter respectfully and helped to illuminate a dark time in history for which these women, who have had so much taken from them, have yet to receive any real justice.
The only negatives I can think of are regarding the character Anna. I'm in agreement with other reviewers, she didn't add very much to the story as she was underdeveloped and I just couldn't connect with her at all. The pace of the book picked up rapidly in the final third which I also found a slightly jarring.
This was a worthy read, I'm glad I encountered it and will be reading the next book in the series shortly.
The only negatives I can think of are regarding the character Anna. I'm in agreement with other reviewers, she didn't add very much to the story as she was underdeveloped and I just couldn't connect with her at all. The pace of the book picked up rapidly in the final third which I also found a slightly jarring.
This was a worthy read, I'm glad I encountered it and will be reading the next book in the series shortly.
pavonini's review
3.0
I quite liked this. The subject was horrible (of course), and some of the story was... questionable (I wasn't keen on the whole comb idea and how it played out). It was better than I expected considering it's written by a man with no personal experience. This isn't a subject I know a huge amount about, but this made me determined to watch the 2016 documentary "The Apology" - I had planned to, but hadn't had the courage to start it.
This book made me angry, at America and Japan. It made me furious on behalf of those women, abused and discarded, forced to hide their past as if they did something shameful.
I got it free on kindle, and I probably won't read it again. I don't think this is The Book you need to read to get to grips with what the Japanese did to these women, but it's not a bad place to start (fairly easy read aside from the actual events depicted). Overall I'd probably say it's worthy (in what it's trying to achieve) but not compelling.
This book made me angry, at America and Japan. It made me furious on behalf of those women, abused and discarded, forced to hide their past as if they did something shameful.
I got it free on kindle, and I probably won't read it again. I don't think this is The Book you need to read to get to grips with what the Japanese did to these women, but it's not a bad place to start (fairly easy read aside from the actual events depicted). Overall I'd probably say it's worthy (in what it's trying to achieve) but not compelling.
loram's review
5.0
This is a powerful story. It's Historical Fiction, based closely on events that actually happened in Korea during WW2 and the Korean war and after. The story of Anna, a Korean war orphan, is fiction but much of her grandmother's story reflects things that happened to real people.
Quite honestly, I cringed when in started out written in present tense. However, the story itself was interesting so I persevered. To my joy, I soon learned that most of the story is told by Anna's grandmother and her history is all in past tense, so I could get sunk into it. I can sort of see how the author thought switching to present tense for Anna's part of the story might work, but it really doesn't. The change is too severe.
A fascinating, though unpleasant story unfolds about the Japanese occupation of Korea and the atrocious treatment of Koreans by their military occupiers. Men were taken off to war, many women were forced to work in factories, but some women were forced to become 'comfort women', as the book description implies. The dehumanising treatment these women received is disturbing to read, yet the historic aspect of it is gripping.
Apart from the main plot of the story, it becomes apparent that there is a mystery involved. What does it mean to be a daughter of the dragon? What does the symbol of the dragon mean? All becomes clear by the end.
This was one of those stories that once I started getting into it, I actually couldn't stop reading. I had tears in my eyes at the end and couldn't bring myself to start reading another book the same day. It taught me about a time and place in history that I knew little about and left me with very strong feelings about the horrors of war, the inhumanity of occupying forces and the human element in the conflicts of nations, especially the abhorrent treatment of women.
I usually mark down a star for present tense writing but not this time. I highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys reading Historical Fiction.
Quite honestly, I cringed when in started out written in present tense. However, the story itself was interesting so I persevered. To my joy, I soon learned that most of the story is told by Anna's grandmother and her history is all in past tense, so I could get sunk into it. I can sort of see how the author thought switching to present tense for Anna's part of the story might work, but it really doesn't. The change is too severe.
A fascinating, though unpleasant story unfolds about the Japanese occupation of Korea and the atrocious treatment of Koreans by their military occupiers. Men were taken off to war, many women were forced to work in factories, but some women were forced to become 'comfort women', as the book description implies. The dehumanising treatment these women received is disturbing to read, yet the historic aspect of it is gripping.
Apart from the main plot of the story, it becomes apparent that there is a mystery involved. What does it mean to be a daughter of the dragon? What does the symbol of the dragon mean? All becomes clear by the end.
This was one of those stories that once I started getting into it, I actually couldn't stop reading. I had tears in my eyes at the end and couldn't bring myself to start reading another book the same day. It taught me about a time and place in history that I knew little about and left me with very strong feelings about the horrors of war, the inhumanity of occupying forces and the human element in the conflicts of nations, especially the abhorrent treatment of women.
I usually mark down a star for present tense writing but not this time. I highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys reading Historical Fiction.
philippamary_94's review
4.0
Wow - that was not an easy read, but it is a book that needs to be read. It deals with a part of history that I knew very little about and what these women went through is horrific - I think it is shocking that it hasn't really been acknowledge. It was written well and is very accessible - I thought the structure of it was well done. It was a very interesting book - I know very little about the regions history - and it was engaging throughout. I finished this in a few sittings - I just needed to know what happened. I highly recommend this book.
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