First generation Korean-American author Eugenia Kim offers a thoughtful and touching story in her debut novel The Calligrapher’s Daughter (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2010). Set in Korea in the early 20th century, the story of Najin and her family and friends is based on the life of the author’s mother.
The Calligrapher’s Daughter
The daughter of a well known and respected calligrapher, Najin Han chaffs against the requirements of her family and culture. Najin tries to conform to her father’s expectations that she be submissive and placid. When he attempts to marry her into an aristocratic family in her early teens, she finally rebels and travels to live with an aunt, who secures Najin a position in Seoul as companion to a young princess.
Najin’s reprieve is cut short when the King is assassinated and the royal family banished, throwing Najin’s life once more into turmoil. As the years pass, Najin tries to serve her family as a dutiful daughter and pursue her own dreams to study medicine.
The Calligrapher’s Daughter is a beautifully told story of both a young woman and a country struggling with changing expectations. Najin’s bravery and resilience and the story of her family’s struggles to maintain their connection with their rich cultural heritage are touching and inspiring. The novel concludes with a brief historical note and glossary and pronunciation guide to the Korean words and terms used throughout the story.
Life in Korea in the Early Twentieth Century
The story of Najin’s childhood, teenage years and early adulthood is told with a backdrop of the struggles of the Korean people to retain their culture and heritage through the years of Japanese occupation and attempted assimilation. Through the experiences of Najin and her family and friends, Eugenia Kim shares details of the many conflicts occurring as the traditional Korean culture was forced to adapt to Japanese control.
The tension between traditional and modern viewpoints is also explored, particularly through Najin’s story. While the tale of Najin’s childhood, youth and adulthood is enjoyable in itself, an additional depth and richness is added as Kim shares details related to family dynamics, religion, literature, education, daily routines, politics, medicine, clothing, food, relationships, traditions and the experiences of the Korean people under the authority of the Japanese.
Author Eugenia Kim
The daughter of Korean immigrants to the United States, Eugenia SunHee Kim has published essays and short stories in journals and anthologies and is an MFA graduate of Bennington College. The Calligrapher’s Daughter is her first novel.
The Calligrapher’s Daughter website includes reading group questions for the novel and additional information about the author including a gallery of photos of Kim’s family in Korea.
Enjoyable Historical Fiction set in Korea
The Calligrapher’s Daughter is an enjoyable story set in a time and culture that is not often explored in historical fiction. Filled with fascinating details and characters, this novel offers readers both an interesting character-driven story as well as a richly drawn snapshot of Korean history.
The combination of interesting and well-developed characters and insights into the early Korean culture from 1915 to 1945 make The Calligrapher’s Daughter ideal for book clubs and reading groups or for anyone looking for an enjoyable, multi-layered novel.
Review copy details
The Calligrapher’s Daughter (ISBN: 978-1-4088-0618-0, 386 pages)
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