Lee Geum-yi's The Picture Bride is a beautifully written, insightful experience that offers an inside look into the lives of people in Korea in the early 1900s. In the excerpt that was included the characters seem to come alive and draw the reader into their lives and the things they are experiencing. Not only is the writing and whole setting for the story beautiful and unique, I also really like that Lee Geum-yi includes a background for all the readers as well. It is nice to have a little more understanding of the characters, what is happening during that time period and why that is important. I've read some books that do not offer any explanation for some of the events occurring or what something means. I am also glad that the plot of the story is already happening in the first few chapters. Some books wait until deeper in the story to get right to the "meat" of the story. I look forward to reading the rest of The Picture Bride when it is published!