This gave me Pachinko vibes in a good way, but on a less grand scale, despite being only 80 pages shorter. Both books are filled with beautiful passages and the struggles of everyday Koreans. Yet, where Pachinko made me attached to the characters and feel for their hardships, it was hard for me to really connect to any of the characters in this book. I know it is unfair to compare the two books, but I think that it is an inevitability given the subject matter and the scope.

Something that this book places a lot of emphasis on is romance. I personally like some romance in my historical fiction, however, this book had a lot more than I had expected it to. I expected it to be more about tensions during the Korean occupation. Instead I got a lot of pining and unrequited love from almost all of the characters. Even with all this romance and pining, the book barely skirts above the misery porn line.

Most of this book is quite sad. There isn’t any really uplifting or hopeful messaging that I can particularly see, but it isn’t misery porn either. It’s just bleak. Everyone doing whatever they need to survive. It ranges from rape and war to betrayal. And while I learned some things about this time period that I didn’t know, I like a little hope or something to give me some feels. They weren’t even particularly tragic romances.

This was a really ambitious debut, so many interesting characters and interesting arcs, but none of it came together in the end for any sort of payoff. I’m not going to give away what happened in the end, but it was a bit of a let down for me. All these terrible things happen and life rolls on, people make choices to get them ahead, but that won’t make them happy. I guess I’m a dreamer and one that doesn’t want to see the world as it is.

Overall, I would recommend this for fans of romance heavy historical fiction and those interested in learning more about Korea in the early 20th century. While I personally didn’t feel attached to the main characters, I would say that I am probably going to be in the minority. There is a lot to love here, but I would have preferred less romance and more history. It was interesting enough and beautiful to read, but it just fell a little flat for me. I am more than willing to check out whatever is next for Juhea Kim, though.

Thank you to Netgalley, Ecco, and the author for providing me with an eARC of this novel, however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Special thanks to Eco and NetGalley for this stunning debut of an ARC.

I love when historical fiction teaches me something and I learned so much. This book made me feel really uninformed and I thought I learned a lot by reading Pachinko. Well this sweeping saga of decades was just an amazing book. This book is published on December 7th, 2021. I highly recommend it. What a great book!

Spanning from 1917 to 1965 set in Korea during Japanese occupation, BEASTS OF A LITTLE LAND follows the lives of several characters as their lives intertwine and their destinies come together: a chief of beggars, a courtesan, an heir of a wealthy family, a tiger hunter and a revolutionary.

With effortless and lush writing, it felt like butter melting as we go through the lines. Initially, the descriptions of wildlife made me feel like I was right there, watching everything from an intimate perspective. This novel paints the impact of Japanese colonial-rule and imperialism on Korea. There were moments where my blood boiled and the story left me thinking that it is often hard to decide what's right and wrong in a war context. Completely immersive, I couldn't put this book down and it also gave me some history lessons.

Ultimately, what Kim does is masterfully explore the human thread, inyeon - an unbreakable bond gathering complex relationships that made my heart ache for the characters, wisely dissecting sacrifice, love, perseverance and deliverance throughout the novel. My final comment is that there is nothing I would complain about this book.

BEASTS OF A LITTLE LAND is a stunning novel with elegant storytelling crafted with care. I hadn’t expected to be this passionately engaged with it and this story became one of my favorites.

I was lucky enough to snag an advance digital copy of BEASTS OF A LITTLE LAND by Juhea Kim through the Bookperks newsletter. Thanks for the early look, and have a safe and happy weekend!

This book is a sweeping work of historical fiction. I think many readers will discover a great deal about Korea's Independence movement through this book. I certainly had no idea about many of the events woven into the plot. The author does a wonderful job of immersing readers in a time and place, so the book never reads like a dull historical account. There are a lot of characters to follow, and they are all believable and well-drawn.

I was surprised to learn this was a debut novel! It was so well written! I would highly recommend it to readers who enjoyed The Island of Sea Women. It will also be great to suggest book clubs looking for a literary title.

Amazing book! I would highly recommend this book to my customers and patrons. I would recommend other books by the same author as well.

An epic story of war, poverty, and brutality. I loved reading about Korea's evolution over the years, it's not something I'm particularly familiar with how it was depicted here was great. The characters, writing, plot, were all well crafted, well written; the author very clearly chose not to shy away from the themes and it swept me away.

Reading this was a slow journey for me even if the writing was far from bad and the historical backdrop was interesting. I haven’t read a lot of books set in Korea, much less in the era this book covers. I don’t know, it took me awhile to feel for any of the main characters. They started as children and I gradually felt for them as they grew older. There were scenes in the book that made me feel so iffy, but considering the subject matter and the characters whose eyes we see through, it’s not surprising to me. All characters’ motivations were clear or were made clear eventually which I appreciated, it gave them more depth and made them more realistic. I just wish the povs of the older men weren’t included. They weren’t exactly good people and I found their chapters dull, but that may also be because there wasn’t a single fiber in my being interested in them; I couldn't bring myself to care. They had nothing against the women in this book who were infinitely better.

What I didn’t much like about this were the romantic relationships. I didn’t root for any of them and much preferred there was none of it; I didn’t expect these to play quite a big part in the story and most were not believable, except maybe that of JungHo’s.

Anyway this was a good read! Hovering between a 3 and a 4 really. I felt a bit disconnected and held at arm’s length.

Absolutely blown away and loved this book. I cannot recommend it enough to people! The author did an incredible job of placing the reader into this period of history in East Asia, specifically Korea, and the vivid imagery felt at once so close yet so fantastical. The opening chapter left me so intrigued as to where things would go from there. In Korea, they have the concept of inyeon and in Chinese culture we have something very similar. The usage of that kind of fate/destiny concept was perfect for this book and wove together the threads of individual stories. The characters were also so well-written! Juhea Kim has created characters that are nuanced and so human. People you might care about, sympathize with, roll your eyes at, and detest. She's expertly created good characters that not only move the plot forward but are also carefully expose moment of reflection and stops the reader to think about how there are very few winners in way, how easy it can be to slip down the slope of being the oppressor, etc. Especially for the decades of history the book is centered around, that is uniquely interesting. And one of the personal reasons I love this book is that I'm not a huge fan of romance novels but I do enjoy it when it is interspersed into the book without it overtaking the story. In Beasts of a Little Land, while there is plenty of focus on love and romantic relationships, it is just a part of the story. One that actually carrie the plot forward without distracting. For fans of historical fiction, this one is a must read. I look forward to writing more about this one! Cannot applaud this book enough and have recommended it many times now to friends. Bravo!

This is a beautifully written story set during the first half of the twentieth century, a time when Koreans were trying to find their way to independent nationhood.

This book was probably one of the most engaging historical fiction novels I've ever read. The writing style worked really well with me, and I appreciated every aspect of this book. The different characters and their narratives felt distinct and each of their choices had long-term consequences that were explored further in the book. The historical aspect of the fight for Korean independence from the 1910s to the 1960s felt balanced without getting too dense, and it even made me want to conduct my own further research on the era. I loved how there was an exploration of roles within the community, from characters with wealth, to characters with none, to characters who were assisted out of their impoverishment, and to characters who tried to elevate themselves. Each of these roles were distinct and played different parts in the overall story of what it means to be a bystander or an activist during times of oppression. Overall this book felt so thoughtful and poetic, and ended on a beautiful note. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction. Some content notes to be aware of: violence, rape, sexual harassment, sexual assault, war, starvation, domestic abuse, animal death/cruelty.

Thank you so much Ecco books and Netgalley for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you are looking for something new from your historical fiction this is the book for you..A sweeping love story set against the Japanese occupation of Korea through WWII into the division of North and South Korea. A warning, however, that there are some brutal scenes in this book. Sometimes this is necessary in order to truly reflect the history. If you read historical fiction to learn about someplace new, to broaden your horizon of world history, but at the same time.to get lost in characters and stories pick this one up in December.

Thank you to ecco books and Net Galley for the eARC of Beasts of a Little Land by Juhea Kim.

First of all, let's talk about this cover! Amazing! The cover of this book drew me in before I even read what the book was about. It's one of the best covers I've seen! Second, I can't believe that this is a debut novel! The writing and the story just blew me away. From the minute I started reading this book I couldn't put it down!

Beasts of a Little Land is a historical fiction novel that takes place in Korea during the independence movement which I knew very little about. I enjoyed learning more about this period in time. This novel is full of history and culture. It spans from 1917-1965. The story tells of a young courtesan woman, Jade and her life and how the lives of others she encounters intertwine throughout the years. The story begins and comes to a climax with the tale of a hunter who saves a soldier from a tiger attack which brings the story full circle.

This book will definitely rate of one of my favorites of the year! I highly recommend this one

Beasts of a Little Land will be out on December 7, 2021

It took me a while to review this book, as it left me with such strong emotions about the plot and characters that I had to take some time to separate how I felt about it on an story level from how I felt about it on a novel level.

In short, this book made me feel intrigued, sad, angry, happy, sad, excited... sad again, resolved, hopeless, and then that kind of nostalgic feeling you only get when you miss the characters in a book as soon as you put it down.

Juhea Kim does a fantastic job of relating parts of history to a story without making it feel forced or like a history lesson. Kim made these stories of war and corruption that likely happened to real people before you and I were born, feel as important and relevant as if it happened to someone you knew but could not help.

The writing is beautiful, and I'll leave it at that because you'll meet Kim's striking voice on the first page and I don't want to ruin that experience for you.

This book will break your heart but you'll be better for it.

This book is about friendship, love, war, loss, family, and hardship. I thought the author did a great job at tying these themes together without it feeling overwhelming.

As a historical fiction novel, I was excited to learn about the Korean independence movement. While this book did a great job highlighting historical themes, I still felt that I had a limited understanding of the independence movement by the end of the novel.

I really loved the beginning of this novel since we learned about the characters and their backstories. The pacing felt very fast.

As I got to this novel's middle, the pacing became bogged down with too much political talk, and I struggled to push through. Perhaps if I had had a more substantial knowledge of the Korean independence movement, I could have connected more. I was tempted to stop reading.

The ending, however, totally redeemed itself! I was dying to find out how the story would conclude. I wasn’t expecting to get emotional over that ending.

If I had to rate individual sections of this book, the beginning and end of this novel would get 4 stars, but the middle section would get 3 stars. This story would have easily been 5 stars if the middle section wasn’t as slow.

One of the most highly anticipated books in 2021 and rightfully so. BEASTS OF A LITTLE LAND is historical fiction at its finest. I loved this book.

As soon as I finished reading this book, I was tempted to write a review while still glowing with the beauty of the story. It talks about so many aspects of korean life of the early 20th century.
It is the tale of three girls primarily destined to be courtesans in a Korea of the early 1900s. Jade, Lotus and Luna’s lives are intertwined in heartbreaking ways as they mature into beautiful women meeting both cruel and kind men along their way. They are brought up by Silver and then Dani to be courtesans and taught various arts deemed essential for them.
Korea’s fight for independence from Japan is the backdrop for Jade’s friendships with JungHo and HanChol. The occupation by the japanese and their brutality was palpable. “Rice was needed in Japan, the mother country. It is as when the body routes nutrients and fresh blood to the heart at the expense of a limb. Japan is the heart, and Korea an extremity. Also, these Josenjings are too well fed and energetic and full-blooded. They will be more docile when they are bled out”.
I loved the writing which could bring out the pain and the beauty of life most effectively and I was surprised to discover this is a debut. Relationships are complicated and evolve throughout our lives. Juhea Kim has brought out the truth of that engagingly so that it was difficult to put down the book so I finished it in three days.

If I’m reading historical fiction, I want it to teach me something. This book does that in spades. I was aware that Japan had annexed Korea at the start of the 20th century, but unaware of the various attempts by Koreans to free themselves of this tyrannical rule. This book begins in 1918 and really ramps up in 1919, when the March 1st Movement began. It continues through 1965.
The two main characters are a young courtesan in training and a young beggar boy who meet and become friends.
Kim does a great job of giving us a solid sense of the time and place (although she occasionally slips up using contemporary language). She manages to sneak in enough facts to explain what’s happening in a “big picture sense” without disrupting the story.
The story is told from multiple perspectives - in addition to the main characters, there is an older courtesan, two sisters who are also training as courtesans, a rich Korean, one of the rebels and two Japanese majors. This keeps the story moving at a nice, steady pace. While the story was very plot rich, at times, it came across as flat. It didn’t grab me emotionally, although it totally interested me intellectually. Surprisingly, for all the unrequited loves and affairs, it’s the romantic parts of the book that fell the flattest. In some ways, the book reminded me of Dr. Zhivago - a romance spread across the history of a country in turmoil. But, don’t get your hopes up too high. This doesn’t come close to living up to that epic romance. Still, I recommend this for those looking to learn about Korea.
My thanks to NetGalley and Ecco for an advance copy of this book.

How excited was I to be approved to read this book! Much that I love--set in a foreign place [Korea] and history.

Beginning in 1917 in "...occupied Korea, an impoverished local hunter on the brink of starvation saves a young Japanese officer from an attacking tiger. In an instant, their fates are connected—and from this encounter unfolds a saga that spans half a century ... a young girl named Jade is sold by her family to Miss Silver’s courtesan school ... he befriends an orphan boy named JungHo, who scrapes together a living begging on the streets of Seoul, they form a deep friendship. As they come of age, JungHo is swept up in the revolutionary fight for independence, and Jade becomes a sought-after performer..." And so on.

The novel ends in 1964 [90% of the book is set before then; mostly takes place before 1945 ].

A story of unrequited love, poverty, friendships, the fight for Korean independence; Japanese oppression, preordained connections [ = inyeon] and intersecting characters. And a gorgeous cover. Aside from Jade and JungHo there are other significant characters--to name a few: Dani, Lotus, HanChol, MyungBo, Captain/then General Yamada, and Ito.

That said I started out with high expectations; this book had so much potential but did not deliver [to me] on its promise. I am in the distinct minority of those who did not care for this book. A 4 to begin, then slowly [I felt the book too long] devolved to 3.5, 3, and ultimately 2.5. I cannot round up because I do not recommend this tome. As I continued reading it became less and less compelling/interesting.

There were SOME excellent descriptions:

"...country road where tender green shoots were coming up like eyelashes"

"...mostly young men but some with salted hair."

AND MUCH cringeworthy prose--mostly the "romantic" parts:

"a tear loosened from Dani's eyes and she melted into his embrace"

"Jade was trying to contain the mysterious stirring within her, which started in her chest and radiated outward throughout her whole body, similar to intoxication."

"She looked not just beautiful, but vitally significant--full of mysterious meaning like the songs of nocturnal birds."

"Her skin was lucent and velvety, from her cheeks all the way to the marble-like decolletage above her V-shaped neckline."

"Only his eyes were unusually bright and full like melted snow."

I wonder: can a nose be pungent?

I COULD CONTINUE BUT WILL NOT.

And some of the trajectory became just too obvious.

There were several instances where I felt I missed something--the narrative skipped over something possibily significant--I searched but came up empty.

Not necessarily a neat and tidy ending but all the "loose" ends were tied up.

A romantic epic that focuses more on a diverse and interesting cast of characters (courtesans, rags to riches street urchins, problematic politicians) navigating Japan’s occupation of Korea before and during WWII versus the flowery language and character-based development that I prefer in epics.

What *I prefer* in epics being the key phrase here, because I do think Beasts of a Little Land is a pure example of historical fiction and that lovers of the genre won’t be disappointed. I just craved poetic moments amongst the historical elements to give some more depth to the long length of this tale that spans half a century.

What an extraordinary saga of life of ordinary people in Korea between 1910 and 1964! Our story revolves around the lives of 3 people who come in contact with each other at critical times, but then go years without seeing each other. The first is Jade. She is from a very poor and rural family and sold into a brothel. We follow her from age 10 through successes and tragedies. The second is Jung-Ho who moves into the city from the country after being orphaned and becomes a gang leader. And the third is a young man whose wealthy family is impoverished by the Japanese take-over in 1910, but who has enough gumption to rise above the status he finds himself in and with the help of others, is able to emerge victorious. We first encounter him mostly starved and hauling a rickshaw in Seoul.

In spite of the circumstances in which these
find themselves, they are ever looking out for each other and for opportunities to improve their wellbeing – as well as the wellbeing of their various friends who are in the same boat.

Time and time again this book had me researching unexpected events that were taking place in Korea. For example, I had no idea that Seoul was completely electrified by a contract with Edison in 1898! The people still travelled by rickshaw, but had electricity! I enjoyed learning more about the history of Korea and about the early involvement the city people had in the modern world.

As much as I enjoyed the book and as much as I learned from the book (always a plus with me!), it wasn’t very well written. Thankfully, the story did move in a forward direction, but it was very choppy in its presentation and was here, there and yonder telling the story.

I’m most appreciative to NetGalley and the publisher, Harper Collins, for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. I’ll look forward to reading others by this author.