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johnmatthewfox's review against another edition
5.0
This is a gorgeously drawn portrait of a culture clash inside a marriage, and how both the American husband and the South Korean wife are haunted by their past. The husband can't escape his past in the war and the history of his family in Turtle Valley, Virginia, and the wife can't escape her South Korean heritage, culture, and expectations. The writing is panoramic and sweeps you along, the sentences are finely detail and fine-tuned like a pristine train set, and Garstang has created a book with wide, if not universal appeal.
amandasbookreview's review against another edition
4.0
When I first read the synopsis for The Shaman of Turtle Valley by Clifford Garstang, I was not sure what to expect. Narrated from several different points of view, this book combines the differences in cultures with a bit of mysticism intertwined. After high school, Aiken enlists in the military. His brother was tragically killed, so when Aiken comes home, he tries to establish a relationship with his father. However, when returning home, he brings with him a South Korean bride and their child. Soon-hee does not fit in. She does not get along with his mother and senses the spirits that lurk over the house. One day, Soon-hee and their son disappear and Aiken is desperate to find them. During this journey he also needs to find himself and where he fits in this life.
This story is absolutely breathtaking! At first glance, I thought this book would be a drag. It is quite the opposite! The pages just flew by. It is gripping from the first chapter to the very last. The characters seem to have so many layers and there is so much that goes into their reactions. There are secrets, rivals, and cultural differences that affect all the characters. There is also a history in Aiken’s family that seems to curse their home and Soon-hee can sense it. Soon-hee and Aiken’s mother is by far the most fascinating characters. But I truly love how their bond develops.
I ultimately had one issue with the book. Every chapter has a new point of view and sometimes the transition is a little rough. I wish there was a name at the beginning of each chapter when the point of view changed. However, I loved the culture and mysticism. You can see the impact that the spirits have on the characters and it is absolutely fascinating. I am quite surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. Definitely check it out! I rate it 4 out of 5 stars!
Thank you, JKS Communications for a copy of the book!
This story is absolutely breathtaking! At first glance, I thought this book would be a drag. It is quite the opposite! The pages just flew by. It is gripping from the first chapter to the very last. The characters seem to have so many layers and there is so much that goes into their reactions. There are secrets, rivals, and cultural differences that affect all the characters. There is also a history in Aiken’s family that seems to curse their home and Soon-hee can sense it. Soon-hee and Aiken’s mother is by far the most fascinating characters. But I truly love how their bond develops.
I ultimately had one issue with the book. Every chapter has a new point of view and sometimes the transition is a little rough. I wish there was a name at the beginning of each chapter when the point of view changed. However, I loved the culture and mysticism. You can see the impact that the spirits have on the characters and it is absolutely fascinating. I am quite surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. Definitely check it out! I rate it 4 out of 5 stars!
Thank you, JKS Communications for a copy of the book!
goldenfenris's review against another edition
3.0
The book is an interesting examination of a culture clash in a marriage. An American husband and his South Korean wife both can't escape their past. He cannot escape his history in the war and his family's in Turtle Valley and she cannot escape South Korean culture and expectations. This novel examines a bit of a roller coaster for the emotions, but it also does a good job of examining the two different cultures and finding similarities between the two. There is something in this book for everyone ranging from Korean spiritual beliefs, strained relationships, an examinations of being an outsider, and of home in general.
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