Beasts of Little Land set in Korea by Juhea Kim

Submitted: 10th February 2022

Historical journey through Korea

There are novels that creep up on you and send a wave of emtoions through you as you read. This is one of those books. An epic tale set between 1917 to 1965 which contains and reveals so much about the most secretive country in the world and its neighbour.

BookTrail the locations in Beasts of Little Land

Boarding Pass Information : Beasts of Little Land

Destination : The two Koreas

Author guide: Juhea Kim

Genre: historical epic

Food and drink to accompany: Korean food of course!

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BookTrail the locations in Beasts of Little Land

Beasts of a Little Land is quite the read. It was like a history lesson in an immersive and personal reading experience. The story is set amidst a fascinating time in Korean history I knew nothing about. To be fair I didn’t’ really know anything about Korean history in general so this book was my attempt to educate myself as well as discover a new author and a new literary setting.

The history in question spans from 1917 to 1965 There’slots to take in and lots of characters to get to know but it really is worth getting into.

The main thread looks at the sacrifices made by Koreans in surviving the Japanese occupation. The two main characters are interesting. Jade has been sold to a courtesan. Where she meets Lotus and Luna. Then there’s Jungho, who has come to Seoul from the north of the country but he has come to northing and he ends up on the street where he struggles to survive. Who they are and how they influence the people around them takes the story onwards.

BookTrail the locations in Beasts of Little Land

I enjoyed the cultural themes in the book such as the symbol of the tiger. There used to be more in the country so people think they have disappeared into the DMZ Demilitarized zone. The Korean people are aware that they are being wiped out, their identity changed and the war is taking more from them that they ever realized. Identity is more important in every way here and it permeates the entire novel.

This is a very cultural and historical novel and there’s even many elements of folklore and stories embedded into the main thread. The novel might be serious and packed full of important history but it’s about the human spirit at the heart of it.

It is a long book and one I had to read slowly and carefully to fully appreciate it.
A book where the main historical thread and the characterization really weaves well together to form an epic and impressive tapestry.!