When Bookishfirst posted the "sneak peak" of "The Picture Bride" by Lee Geum-yi, I knew that it was a novel that I would be interested in. I was thrilled to be one of the lucky ARC winners!
This novel certainly did not disappoint. "The Picture Bride" is a historical fiction that follows the lives of three Korean women that become picture brides in hopes of a better life in Hawaii. Picture brides was a practice that took place in the twentieth century. Immigrant workers found it difficult to find women of their culture to marry. With the recommendation of a matchmaker, the potential bride and groom exchanged pictures. The bride and groom had different motives for marrying. Despite their differences, according to history, these picture brides were a very important part of establishing the Asian community in Hawaii and the main land. Ms. Geum-yi does an outstanding job of developing the main characters of Willow, Hongju, and Songhwa, as well as the supporting characters. The plot, even though this is a fictional novel, is quite believable. The setting is so well described, that you can actually envision it in your mind.
For those that might not be aware, the author was born and raised in South Korea and currently resides in Seoul, South Korea. The novel was translated by An Seonjae.
I look forward to reading additional translated novels by Ms. Geum-yi!
This novel certainly did not disappoint. "The Picture Bride" is a historical fiction that follows the lives of three Korean women that become picture brides in hopes of a better life in Hawaii. Picture brides was a practice that took place in the twentieth century. Immigrant workers found it difficult to find women of their culture to marry. With the recommendation of a matchmaker, the potential bride and groom exchanged pictures. The bride and groom had different motives for marrying. Despite their differences, according to history, these picture brides were a very important part of establishing the Asian community in Hawaii and the main land. Ms. Geum-yi does an outstanding job of developing the main characters of Willow, Hongju, and Songhwa, as well as the supporting characters. The plot, even though this is a fictional novel, is quite believable. The setting is so well described, that you can actually envision it in your mind.
For those that might not be aware, the author was born and raised in South Korea and currently resides in Seoul, South Korea. The novel was translated by An Seonjae.
I look forward to reading additional translated novels by Ms. Geum-yi!