Beasts of a Little Land

If you liked Pachinko you will love Beasts of a Little Land.

Beasts of a Little Land is a historical fiction novel and is also Juhea Kim’s debut. It is set on the Korean peninsula from 1917 through to 1965 and follows the life trajectories of several key characters. I found this book to be very engaging. I was drawn in by the rich character development and ended up learning a lot about Korean history, especially the Japanese occupation of Korea.

The 20th century was a time of major upheaval for Korea, from being annexed as a Japanese colony, to American occupation post-WWII and the Korean war in the 1950s. Kim follows the lives of a young courtesan Jade, her childhood friend Nam JungHo and the people connected to them.  Through these characters we learn about the turbulent historical events and experience them alongside the characters. Kim uses the Korean concept of inyeon as a narrative touchstone to draw lines between all of her characters. Inyeon is the ties between people that bind them together, whether it’s love, hate, honour or freedom. Ineyon is used to connect times and locations and to demonstrate the bittersweet nature of fate.

For fans of Pachinko by Min Jin Lee i would highly recommend reading Beasts of a Little Land. They are quite similar novels in that they both explore the same time period in Korean history through the framework of fictional characters. Where Pachinko moves to Japan and explores the conflict of being a Korean person in Japan, and then moving back to Korea, this novel gives greater insight into the Japanese occupation of Korea and what life was like in Seoul during the occupation and WWII. Kim also does not stick to one family the way that Lee does. She utilises diverse characters with first person perspectives to paint a broader picture. It is a sweeping, epic tale full of love and life as well as tragedy.

Kim does not shy away from describing the brutal realities of war, occupation and the fight for independence. I wouldn’t describe this as a happy book, there is too much death and heartbreak for that, but I think bittersweet captures the feeling I am left with after finishing it. I was fully immersed in the world that Kim created and was swept away on this epic journey. A must read for fans of historical fiction and especially is you enjoyed Pachinko.

Find Beasts of a Little Land by Juhea Kim

Rosanna