White Chrysanthemum by Mary Lynn Bracht

Tue, 02/06/2018 - 10:04am -- JGranatino

During WWII, Japanese-occupied Koreans were subject to severe punishment for keeping to their culture, even taking on Japanese names for fear of reprisal. Hana is sixteen years old and has become one of the honored haenyeo, a diving woman, to help provide her family with food from the sea. While diving one day, she spots a soldier headed towards her younger sister on the beach. She runs to the shore to divert him and is kidnapped, becoming one of the “comfort women” for Japanese soldiers. Years later her sister Emi attends the Wednesday Demonstrations held in Seoul across from the Japanese embassy in solidarity for the thousands of young girls who were taken, killed or never heard from again. Emi has spent years looking for Hana and when the Statue of Peace is revealed in 2011, she collapses from emotions long hidden. This debut novel is based on historical fact, and was written not only in memory of those who suffered under the Japanese, but for all who are subject to human trafficking around the world. 

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