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cobwebshelves 's review for:
White Mulberry
by Rosa Kwon Easton
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
“Go on. Tell him how Korea has a history, even though the Japanese say we don’t.”
if there is one thing i took away from “white mulberry”, it’s that every occupying state is fundamentally the same.
the novel, inspired by the life of easton’s own grandmother, follows miyoung—a young girl from a small village in korea who attempts to escape her predetermined life path of a wife and a mother by moving to live with her older sister in japan. spanning over a decade, it’s a story of both personal and national struggle, of finding one’s identity as a person in a land that was altered by force.
the descriptions of persecution (both ethnic and religious), the use of koreans essentially as fodder for the war, the hardships of women seeking better life prospects were the aspects that pulled me in the most. miyoung’s life is rifled with tragedy and loss, yet there is always hope to cling to. the interpersonal conflicts felt compelling and you could tell a good amount of thorough research was put into portraying the society of japan and occupied korea in the 30s and 40s, as well as miyoung’s career of choice—nursing and, further down the line, midwifery.
unfortunately, i found the writing style very lacklustre. it worked better in the earlier chapters, where miyoung was still a young girl, but as she aged up, it was not very compelling. her self doubts felt repetitive, and some of her lucky chances appeared too lucky. overall, it felt more like a young adult novel despite being shelved as adult.
nevertheless, “white mulberry” is an insightful look into life under occupation and the persistence of one woman despite the whole world standing in her way.
thanks to netgalley and lake union publishing for the arc.
if there is one thing i took away from “white mulberry”, it’s that every occupying state is fundamentally the same.
the novel, inspired by the life of easton’s own grandmother, follows miyoung—a young girl from a small village in korea who attempts to escape her predetermined life path of a wife and a mother by moving to live with her older sister in japan. spanning over a decade, it’s a story of both personal and national struggle, of finding one’s identity as a person in a land that was altered by force.
the descriptions of persecution (both ethnic and religious), the use of koreans essentially as fodder for the war, the hardships of women seeking better life prospects were the aspects that pulled me in the most. miyoung’s life is rifled with tragedy and loss, yet there is always hope to cling to. the interpersonal conflicts felt compelling and you could tell a good amount of thorough research was put into portraying the society of japan and occupied korea in the 30s and 40s, as well as miyoung’s career of choice—nursing and, further down the line, midwifery.
unfortunately, i found the writing style very lacklustre. it worked better in the earlier chapters, where miyoung was still a young girl, but as she aged up, it was not very compelling. her self doubts felt repetitive, and some of her lucky chances appeared too lucky. overall, it felt more like a young adult novel despite being shelved as adult.
nevertheless, “white mulberry” is an insightful look into life under occupation and the persistence of one woman despite the whole world standing in her way.
thanks to netgalley and lake union publishing for the arc.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Pregnancy, War