Category: Other Asian 5 out of 5s

Linda Sue Park’s—When my name was Keoko *****

Linda Sue Park’s—When my name was Keoko *****

In 1940 Sun-hee, her brother Tae-yul, their parents and Uncle live in fear under the Japanese who invaded Korea. As the Japanese advance through Asia, they demand more from Koreans—their food, their metal possessions as well as forcing them to lose their own culture. 

This is an accurate account of Japanese colonialism in Korea seen through the eyes of a fictionalized family. 

Yangsze Choo’s—The fox wife *****

Yangsze Choo’s—The fox wife *****

This is a fantasy tale influenced by Chinese myths about foxes that is captivating. Bao is assigned by a restaurant owner to learn the name of the woman who died on the steps of his establishment so the owner can conduct prayers so the woman won’t haunt his business. While Bao traces his steps from a brothel back to the village where the dead woman came from, he encounters tales of a fox woman and other mysterious deaths that remind him of his childhood with Tagtaa whom he secretly adored and their fascination with foxes.

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C.J. Cooke’s—A Haunting in the Arctic*****

C.J. Cooke’s—A Haunting in the Arctic*****

Alone, Dominique arrives at a deserted beach in a remote part of Iceland. She wants to document the Ormen that was shipwrecked in the 1970s before the coastguard arrives at the end of the month to haul the wreck into the sea. She sets up camp inside the ship, but soon disturbing dreams make her awake suddenly, singing drifts through the ship, and in the distance along the beach she is sure there is a woman scantily clad in a dress even though it is below zero. These are images from 1901 when the Ormen, then a whaling ship, left Dundee. Later her visions are from when the Ormen was used as an Arctic research vessel in the 1970s.

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Wiz Wharton’s—Ghost Girl, Banana *****

Wiz Wharton’s—Ghost Girl, Banana *****

Lily’s older confident sister, Maya shrugs off the past whenever Lily tries to remember their childhood in Hong Kong before they were sent back to their father in London once their mother, Sook-Yin’s died. Lily learns that she is has been bequeathed a large amount of money on the condition she comes to Hong Kong to claim it. She has no idea who Hei-Fong Lee is nor why he would leave her so much money. When she learns her sister has received the same letter, she confronts Maya, but her sister says to ignore the offer.

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