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A review by duckyreads
The Picture Bride by Lee Geum-yi
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
The Picture Bride is an intriguing translated Historical Fiction story that follows several young women known as picture brides that travel from Korea to Hawaii to be married to Korean men that they've only seen pictures of. Willow is the primary narrator in the story, and we start her story as a young girl and the only daughter of a widowed mother.
I really enjoyed that the narrative weaves accurate historical information about the tension between China, Korea, Japan, and the Pacific region in that period. It's a glimpse into the probable lives of the Korean people during that time. Willow is an admirable character, especially considering how young she was when she went to Hawaii. Her relationship with her husband was initially reserved, but watching her find her voice was inspiring.
The familial relationship she has with the other picture brides, Hongju and Sanghwa, was very sweet and lovely to read. The narrator also did a great job reading and dramatizing the story. As a translated work most of the dialogue flowed, but there were some areas where the narrative was clunky.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed that the narrative weaves accurate historical information about the tension between China, Korea, Japan, and the Pacific region in that period. It's a glimpse into the probable lives of the Korean people during that time. Willow is an admirable character, especially considering how young she was when she went to Hawaii. Her relationship with her husband was initially reserved, but watching her find her voice was inspiring.
The familial relationship she has with the other picture brides, Hongju and Sanghwa, was very sweet and lovely to read. The narrator also did a great job reading and dramatizing the story. As a translated work most of the dialogue flowed, but there were some areas where the narrative was clunky.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Grief and Slavery