My thanks to Bookish First for the ARC!
The Picture Bride grew on me slowly, but by the end I was fully invested. Historical fiction is not my favorite genre and because it's a translation there was some clunkiness to be expected, so it was a bit hard to get into at first. However, the relationships between the characters were developed well, with realistic complexities, and the strength of the bond between the main character and the other picture brides was touching. The exploration of the varying political views regarding Korean independence movements within the Korean community was intriguing and added depth to the story.
Overall, by the end of the book, I had both become invested in the characters' relationships and stories and felt as though I had gained more insight into a segment of Korean history that I had previously known very little about.
The Picture Bride grew on me slowly, but by the end I was fully invested. Historical fiction is not my favorite genre and because it's a translation there was some clunkiness to be expected, so it was a bit hard to get into at first. However, the relationships between the characters were developed well, with realistic complexities, and the strength of the bond between the main character and the other picture brides was touching. The exploration of the varying political views regarding Korean independence movements within the Korean community was intriguing and added depth to the story.
Overall, by the end of the book, I had both become invested in the characters' relationships and stories and felt as though I had gained more insight into a segment of Korean history that I had previously known very little about.