What an interesting book.

There are multiple levels to this book and as soon as you're enthralled in it, it ends.

Poof!

I felt so cheated. I have so many questions left unanswered. I hate when authors do this.

The book is written in multiple points of views of three different characters: Moon, Billie, and Yun-JI. Billie and her boyfriend Joe take a teaching job in Korea. Moon, a worker at the school, is the first person that interacts with the couple. The character of Yun-Ji came out of nowhere. She also works at the school but never seemed like an important character to follow. It was confusing.

The novel takes place in 2002-2003 in Korea, while Bush was president of the U.S. Things were not easy for Billie and Joe to be in Korea at a time like this. Two Korean girls got ran over by an American Tank. Some Koreans hated Americans. It was a difficult journey for them from beginning to end, and it did end abruptly.

Moon. Poor Moon. My heart aches for Moon. He's my favorite character of the novel. He's the only character that is open about his past and has admitted to making mistakes. He is a strong character and has had his share of defeats.

Yun-Ji is a young Korean woman that is just finding her voice. She lives at home with her traditional mother and always working father. Yun-Ji is what is suppose to be the traditional Korean in this novel to show the cultural differences between Americans and Koreans - especially between her and Billie. The same thing happens to both of them and they handle that differently, of course.

It was a good, short, and deep book. I feel more educated about Korean culture and values now.

I also received it for free on Amazon's Daily Kindle Deals. The book is currently listed for $2.99 on the Kindle store - which is a good price. ( )

Struggled to read this at the beginning and didn't think I would like the book at all, but it gradually became more enjoyable and by the end I found I would miss reading it. Good character development and pacing, good dialogue, no over-described settings that go on and on, few typos/grammatical errors (thought some jarring ones). Overall, I recommend and am grateful to have received this book for free in exchange for my review. ( )

I loved this the storyline was great ( )

This book was okay. Not something that I would re-read and this book was not everything that I was expecting. I did not feel that the characters acted their age I felt that they acting as if they were 12 not the age that the author intended. I also felt that the book was first and third person and kept switching where that I was really annoyed throughout the story and it took away from the great parts and the story was good just not great. ( )

The Korean Word For Butterfly by Jamie Zerndt is a highly recommended novel that explores our fragile connections with what is important in life.

Set in 2002 during the World Cup soccer match and when two 13 year old girls were ran over by a US tank and killed, there are three major characters who tell their stories in alternating chapters in The Korean Word For Butterfly by Jamie Zerndt.

Billie and Joe are two high school graduates who have forge college transcripts and diplomas so they can travel to Korea and teach English at the English language school, Kids, Inc! Billie tells us in the first chapter that she and Joe are frauds but that this job will provide them with an adventure. What she doesn't realize is how much their relationship and lives will be challenged over the course of the next six months.

Moon, a former music producer, currently works for Kids, Inc! His wife, Min Jee, has left him, taking their 3 year old son Hyo with her after a drunken Moon caused their son to hurt his arm. Moon has stopped drinking. He desperately misses his son and longs for his family to be whole again. He's also suspicious that the two new teachers may not actually be qualified to teach.

Yun-ji is a secretary at the school. She lives with her parents and after observing her mother's passive acceptance of her father's neglect and drinking, desires more than a life settling for so little. She meets a handsome GI and starts a relationship with him that will have far reaching consequences.

While the lives of Billie, Moon and Yun-ji are interconnected, they are all also making different choices during some very similar situations: questioning family connections, abuse of alcohol,
pregnancy, abuse of power, tradition versus change. Ultimately the characters different choices lead to different consequences.

This is a thoughtful novel that, while set during a turbulent time, quietly follows the desperate lives of the three characters Billie, Moon, and Yun-ji. Even while living during big events we still process them through our own inner voice, based on our own wants and needs, and search for our own answers. Zerndt has a way with words, perhaps because he is a poet, and has his characters approach their conflicts with a gentleness and understanding that is very appealing. He captures the individuality of his characters brilliantly while ever mindful of the Korean time period and setting. (Note: abortion is presented as a choice in this novel, although not for all characters.)

Disclosure: I received an advanced reading copy of this book from the author for review purposes. ( )