A review by praptireads
Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-joo

4.5

4.5. this book is unlike anything i've ever read before. its so raw, and made me cry more than once, not just out of sadness, but from rage. this book essentially follows the life story of one kim jiyoung as she goes from being a daughter nobody wanted (because they wanted a son) to a mother who had to give up everything (because thats the oh so noble love of a mother). it explores the depth to which misogyny is ingrained in korean societal customs and practices, some of which felt relatable as an indian girl as well. the writing was a bit unexpressive at times but the things being written about did all the emotional leg work anyway.

i 100% recommend this, its only 163 pages and truly a book that stands out in the array of feminist literature. i also recommend researching the impact this had in south korea to understand just how groundbreaking this really was.