Reviews

A gem of a novel.

We follow, through time, a Korean girl who is sold by her family to become a courtesan. She grows up in a Seoul that is constantly evolving. We also follow other characters linked to her through time; childhood friends, a lover, ‘aunts, and powerful men. There’s a lot of historical context on the Japanese occupation of Korea which I found very interesting.

A key theme is friendship. What effect has time on friendship, and what makes a friendship real and genuine?
The story also shows perfectly how we cannot influence our true feelings, or change who we are essentially. But, simultaneously, it shows that events of life can affect who we become.

It is a complex story, showing the rawness of life, and I’m all for it. Great read.

the_heathered_library's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

lisaareads_'s review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

chelsl's review against another edition

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emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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