A Korean hunter saves a Japanese soldier from a tiger. The story follows the hunter’s son and the soldier, and the many people’s lives touched by them both during the Japanese occupation of Korea, but especially the son’s great love, courtesan Jade. This is a deep dive into the dreadful occupation and how Korean’s survived and the aftermath. It’s an excellent read if a little slow. ( )

A stunning saga spun with multiple POVs and poetic writing that is one of the strongest debut novels I've ever read. "Beasts of Little Land" spans about fifty years of Korea's history, starting in 1917, moving into the Japanese annexation and occupation of Korea, the fight for independence, and finally ending with the split along the 38th parallel. It's a brutal book at times, yet also immensely hopeful; this is largely due to Kim's exploration of inyeon, a word that means a connection or tied-in fate to someone in a meaningful way. Right from the beginning Kim starts tying together the cast of characters in ways both seen and unseen, and watching each person move towards and around the others throughout the course of the novel is deeply rewarding.
Just all around a beautiful and meditative book that I'd definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys historical fiction that deals with explorations of fate, the effects of war and of decision making, and the things that bind humans together. ( )

WOW, this was good. Despite all the reading/watching of Korean books and dramas I have done over the past few years, as I read this it became painfully obvious that it has all been either contemporary or deep history. Of course I am/was aware of the Japanese annexation/occupation, but almost entirely as it affects those who left, looking back at it now.

I think Kim does a masterful job here, balancing hope and despair, the epic and the personal. There were moments I was worried the book would stray too dark or too melodramatic for me, but Kim doesn't dwell on the darkest of topics (She doesn't shy away from them either — check the content warnings for SA, starvation, addiction, domestic abuse, and more).

In an author interview, Kim said one of the things she wanted to do with this novel was show how people attempt to live meaningful lives while the world is ending. Kim follows a number of characters here who have wildly different values. Seeing each of those lives play out, the choices they make, the things they gain and the things they lose, accomplished that very well. ( )

With a story that takes place overtime, there are often many characters who are somewhat difficult to keep straight, as happens here, but what made it a little more difficult were some of the creative choices the author made that I could not follow as I could not see the reason, which may be because I was listening to the audiobook. ( )

Juhea Kim's expansive and emotional epic , Beasts of a Little Land , is a beautiful work of historical fiction.

The two prime characters are Jade , a young girl of ten who is sold to a courtesan house for money that would help her poor family and JungHo , an orphan living off the streets , struggling to survive with nothing but few mementos left to him by his late father , a former soldier with the Korean Imperial Army , skilled hunter and tenant farmer who once saved a Japanese officer from being killed by a tiger on a hunting expedition. The lives of Jade and JungHo and the people they meet in the course of their lives takes us on a journey spanning almost 5 decaded (1917-1965) in Japan occupied Korea . The evolution of this nation from being a Japanese colony to fighting for and winning its independance only to be divided into two nations by drawing a "a hasty line at the thirty-eighth parallel" is told through the interwoven stories of Japanese colonizers, freedom fighters, self serving businessmen, street children and courtesans.

The author's use of folklore and storytelling within the main story gives us a deeper understanding of the history and culture of the country and its people. With themes of lifelong friendships and betrayals, sacrifice , patriotism, love (unrequited in some cases) and survival in times of extreme hardship and political unrest this is an exquisitely written debut . At the heart of the novel is the human thread - 'inyeon' that connects the interwoven lives of the different characters in this novel- people who were destined to be a part of eachother's stories . Vivid descriptions of the hardships faced during Korea's struggle for independance and the brutality of the colonizers is hard to read but central to how the story progresses. The plot does have some gaps wherein I was left wondering about the fate of an important character or about what events/circumstances could have led to that moment. I suppose that with a story with many characters and much ground to cover this does happen. But ultimately that this is an impressive debut novel goes without saying.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ecco Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review. ( )