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stalxwj's review against another edition
5.0
Best book I read this year. Thought it was non-fiction at first but nevertheless, still beautifully written.
messydepressy's review against another edition
5.0
All three books in this series was incredible from start to finish. I found myself captivated by the descriptions and the storyline was on point. Andrews was able to bring a voice to all the stuff happening over in Korea and I hope he continues the series!
abaugher's review against another edition
5.0
In simple writing, Andrews tells a devastating story that more people need to know about: Japan's unacknowledged shame of the hundreds of thousands of comfort women
nicovivi's review against another edition
The writing style really did not compel me to read forward, and the design for the comb already did not feel very Korean to me to begin with, so I had a hard time connecting as a Korean American.
lisamshardlow's review against another edition
5.0
20-year-old Anna travels from America to Korea to learn about her birth mother - she was adopted from a Korean orphanage. When Anna arrives at the orphanage, she discovers that her birth mother died whilst giving birth to her. Outside, a mysterious old woman hands Anna a package containing an antique comb and an address. After going to the address, Anna soon learns that the mysterious old lady is her maternal grandmother, Jae-hee. Jae-hee tells Anna her story. It’s an epic narrative that starts with the Japanese occupation of Korea and China during WWII, when Korean women were forced to be “comfort women” for the Japanese troops - Jae-hee was one of them. Anna learns that the precious antique comb has been passed down through generations of strong and resilient women, of which she is descended from.
This was very good. Although it is fiction, it is based on actual events that happened in Korea’s history. It is true that “comfort women” did exist, and they were basically forced sex slaves for the Japanese. It was quite difficult to read in some places, but I do think that it’s important for us to learn about these events to try to ensure that they don’t happen again. I really loved Jae-hee, she was a very strong woman who was somehow able to stay positive and optimistic even at the bleakest of moments, she never gave up and she carried on no matter what. I really cared for both Jae-hee and her daughter Soo-bo, and I just wanted everything to be better for them. The story was extremely well written throughout, and I think the subject was handled very well.
I don’t think there was anything that I didn’t love about this, it was emotional, heartbreaking and horrific, but also eye opening, interesting and made you feel for the characters. Because of this, I give it 5 out of 5 stars.
I highly recommend this to anyone who loves historical fiction, stories of WWII, Korean culture, strong resilient women, and mythical two headed dragons.
This was very good. Although it is fiction, it is based on actual events that happened in Korea’s history. It is true that “comfort women” did exist, and they were basically forced sex slaves for the Japanese. It was quite difficult to read in some places, but I do think that it’s important for us to learn about these events to try to ensure that they don’t happen again. I really loved Jae-hee, she was a very strong woman who was somehow able to stay positive and optimistic even at the bleakest of moments, she never gave up and she carried on no matter what. I really cared for both Jae-hee and her daughter Soo-bo, and I just wanted everything to be better for them. The story was extremely well written throughout, and I think the subject was handled very well.
I don’t think there was anything that I didn’t love about this, it was emotional, heartbreaking and horrific, but also eye opening, interesting and made you feel for the characters. Because of this, I give it 5 out of 5 stars.
I highly recommend this to anyone who loves historical fiction, stories of WWII, Korean culture, strong resilient women, and mythical two headed dragons.
imsarame's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
girlglitch's review against another edition
4.0
I knew of comfort women before reading Daughters of the Dragon, but hadn't ever seen their experiences represented in fiction. Andrews tells an important story, and has created an emotive and sensitive account of one comfort woman's fight to survive.
The writing style threw me at first - it's simplistic and lacks literary finesse - but it grew on me, and there were times when the style actually helped to foreground the emotional power of the story. It's highly readable, and like a lot of others reviewers I found myself speeding through the book - which on the whole is a good thing, although towards the end of the novel I felt the narrative fast-forwarded a little too quickly.
But the story, and the history it covers, is truly engaging, and Jae-hee makes for an inspiring heroine. An extremely worthwhile read.
The writing style threw me at first - it's simplistic and lacks literary finesse - but it grew on me, and there were times when the style actually helped to foreground the emotional power of the story. It's highly readable, and like a lot of others reviewers I found myself speeding through the book - which on the whole is a good thing, although towards the end of the novel I felt the narrative fast-forwarded a little too quickly.
But the story, and the history it covers, is truly engaging, and Jae-hee makes for an inspiring heroine. An extremely worthwhile read.
amygibbs's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Physical abuse
Minor: Suicide
barbaraskalberg's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 I had no idea thousands of Korean women (and girls) were forced into prostitution by the Japanese during the Japanese occupation of Korea before WW2. There were a couple of plot nuances I had issue with (I didn't love the way the "old" story was told through the voice of the grandmother), but the actual meat of the novel is amazing. Looking forward to the book club discussion.