A multi-generational story about a Korean family as they endure Japanese imperialism is what is promised in Jiyoung Han's Honey in the Wound. There are spies to encounter, sparrows to dodge, and even tigers that may only need to be feared by those who commit terrible atrocities, but fight on the side of the vulnerable.
The Situation: In 1902 in the mountains of Korea, Geum-Jin and his twin sister, Geum-Ja, are born to parents who prefer to live apart from those in the nearby village. After years of war, the twins will find themselves living under Japanese rule, and even the mountains cannot protect them from the whims and brutality of the soldiers looking for any reason to harass the people. But life moves on, and soon Geum-Jin has children of his own, with a wife who has a strange ability to make anyone speak the truth, including Japanese officers. Their youngest daughter, Song Young-Ja, seems to be able to impart her emotions into her cooking, a gift that does not go unnoticed, and lands her in a teahouse of spies in Manchuria.
The Problem: Life in the teahouse is not easy, but Young-Ja gets used to the harsh living, and even harsher command of the owner of the teahouse. She makes friends, rises in rank from greeter to server, and is always eager to do her best and collect the bits of information that those in charge are so eager for. But this life is not meant to last, and it is only decades later, when Young-Ja comes into contact with Rinako, the granddaughter she never met, that she even considers the possibility of reconciling what happened. Rinako can see into dreams and knows things about people that they have not, and would not, share with her. But together, she and her hesitant grandmother begin the painful journey of confronting the past, and those responsible.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a historical fiction novel full of magical realism, set in various places around Asia during Japan's war with, and occupation of Korea. It begins in Korea in 1902 when Geum-Jin is born, and moves through time, all the way to 1992 in Seoul, where Young-Ja resides as an old woman, and Tokyo, where Rinako lives with her father. Throughout the story, readers encounter tigers that speak; a flock of sparrows that warn of danger; tea that can cause the drinker to feel intense sorrow; and ghosts that cry out for help as well as haunt. At the center of everything is Japan's occupation of Korea, and how it affected Young-Ja's family in particular.
My Verdict: Overall, this is an incredible story, but towards the end it did have the feeling of a movie where they started filming before the script was finished. Considering where the book started, with Geum-Jin and his life in the mountains, the ending with Young-Ja and Rinako felt a little disconnected, despite the fact that the reader did just go on a life-long journey with the older woman and saw exactly how she got to where she is. There are many parts of her story that are difficult to read and deal with, something she herself acknowledges in her attempts to move on from it. Ultimately it is a book that shines light on a dark part of history that is hard to face, but Han does face it, and does so boldly.
Favorite Moment: I was delighted any time an animal or insect acted in a way that did not make sense, especially when it served to help or protect someone.
Favorite Character: Rinako is a strange child who grows up with few friends, mostly due to her strange ability to see into people's dreams, and the resulting social awkwardness. But she is smart, and has a determination that her father does not understand.
Recommended Reading: Beasts of a Little Land by Juhea Kim also takes place in Korea during the Japanese occupation.
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