I find Japan's control of Korea, and Korea's eventual independence, to be a very interesting, though tragic, aspect of history that I don't know enough about as it isn't a common topic of history taught in the UK, and in seeking out Beasts of a Little Land as a narrative interpretation of people's experiences during that time, I found out so much, and in such an approachable way. Although quite clearly fiction, the lived experiences of each of the characters portrayed how this time was experienced in such differing ways, from Jade's turbulent childhood to Jungho and his fight for his country's freedom. I did find the story to drag at times, especially when reading about the characters that I didn't care for as much as Jade, and I found the pacing of the story and its timeline to be a bit confusing towards the end. Whatever little gripes I had with Kim's storytelling were only small, and I do think this story as a whole portrayed a very important message.

This is such a heartbreaking story. I was so invested in both the story and the characters. It is written so well. It’s so emotional and raw

Sometimes you're in the mood for 'sweeping epics', sometimes not. I'm afraid to say that I just didn't connect with this or the characters, and found myself skim-reading huge chunks just to get through it. Fear not, there are many 5 star reviews raving about this, so I put it down to just not for me and move on.

(With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this title.)

“In prolonged destruction, there was no spirit of unity such as the one they had shared in the face of a quick and heroic death”.

TW: rape, murder.

Kim is a highly talented writer, producing a final product similar to something I'd expect from Min Jin Lee or Lisa See. Beasts of a Little Land follows Jade, a young female peasant sold into the life of a courtesan in her hometown of Korea and her journey from Pyongyang to Seoul and back, during the time of war.

I adored the way Kim discussed the idea of ‘inyeon’ or threads between people and how we are all linked in one way or another, but also how helpless we are to maintain the threads because “if it’s not meant to be, you can’t hold onto people no matter what’.

The way one individual can impact another's family and future transcends generations and she displayed this perfectly between the characters, who took it in turns to help one another in a domino style effect.

The other prominent theme that really stuck out for me was the emphasis of resilience, placed mainly on, but not only on female characters. They would build up their counterparts, only to be torn down in return, left behind and later left at the mercy of another and have no choice but to begin the cycle again. The almost cyclical nature of the disappointment and misfortune the characters faced reinforced my expectation of events, yet still killed the little bit of hope I had at every corner.

The book is politically charged, given the timing of the story, and could have been slightly more fleshed, but overall it's a fantastic read to understand Japanese-Korean relations during the war from a more personal perspective.

Jade, is a young girl who is sold to a courtesan house for money that would help her poor family. JungHo, is an orphan living off the streets and struggling to survive with nothing but a few mementoes left to him by his late father, 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 decades.

This story is a gripping read with the pacing keeping you reading. The plot is smart and intricate with the paths of the characters crisscrossing throughout.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC..

Absolutely fantastic! Beasts of a Little Land is a portal to a whole world teeming with life, so full of wonders. Fascinating… A beautiful story that captures your attention and your heart from beginning to end.

Unfortunately I was quite sick these last months and couldn't actually read more than some pages of this.
I liked what I did read and I am sure to pick up a physical copy of this, as well as stocking it for the store.

This was a really enjoyable, engaging saga. Set in Korea over a period of nearly fifty years, it tells the stories of Nam and Jade and their different paths and experiences throughout their lives. While the history of the Peninsular and its interactions with Japan determine behaviours, it does not over dominate the story. One of the best books I have read this year.

When I read that this book was being compared to Pachinko, it was a no-brainer for me to request it on NetGalley. I was thrilled when I got approved for it.

This book begins in the year 1917 where Korea is yet to be divided into North & South. With the threat of famine looming, Jade is sold by her family to Miss Silver’s courtesan school in a cosmopolitan Pyongyang. However, a Japanese invasion is coming and Jade flees to Seoul and befriends an orphan boy called JungHo. As Jade becomes a sought-after performer with unexpected romantic prospects, JungHo is swept up in the revolutionary fight for independence. Soon Jade must decide between following her own ambitions, or risking everything for the one she loves. 

It took me quite a while to get into a groove with this book, I’m not going to lie. It is definitely a slow-paced read. I found it difficult to get into mainly because of the jumping perspectives. When I wasn’t familiar with the characters at the start I found it slightly confusing to begin with.
Yet once I did get into it, I was mesmerised by it and unable to put it down. I think if you’re looking for a full-on historical fiction, this might disappoint slightly as it is very character driven. The history seeps into the background in parts besides where it is relevant in the author’s writing. However, the characters are so beautifully developed. Once you get into the plot, it becomes a captivating read. It is a story of love, heartache, circumstance and friendship above anything else. The historical-fiction element, in my opinion, is only really peppered throughout the book. It only really kicked in towards the end for me.

Nonetheless, Beasts Of A Little Land is lovely debut and I think anyone who enjoys a character-driven plot and history will like this book.

Thank you to @oneworldpublications and @netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A rich and soaring tale of love, loss, violence and Korean history. Great characters who I enjoyed getting to know a lot, despite the fact that the plot itself was perhaps lacking in some places.

Enjoyable in that I didn't ever feel the need to skim or that I was going to DNF, and I finished it fairly quickly but there are many other titles I would recommend in this vein before this. It mainly suffers from debut novel syndrome I think, it was a bit too big for its britches. It could've done with knocking out a few of the more secondary or infrequent point of views to spend more time giving depth to its main characters. It felt like a lot of character development and plot progression would happen in the time skips, so often I was left feeling like I was missing the most important parts of the story as they were happening off page. For both of these reasons it was hard to have any strong connection to the characters or their stories. I also think it suffers a bit from a need of 'show don't tell' it felt like everything was spelled out so plainly, and sometimes clumsily, on the page as far as characters feelings or motives it left no room for me as the reader to think or interpret for myself. It would be better if the author assumed a bit more intellect on their readers' parts and then could depict things in a bit more nuanced way. As it was I felt I was handheld through the story.
Inevitably this will draw comparisons to Pachinko in subject matter, themes and style, and I will admit Pachinko is one of my favourite books and one of the reasons I picked this up because i thought it would be the 'next Pachinko', but it falls short of giving any of the depth or emotional connection of its predecessor.

An expansive and compelling narrative following various characters as they navigate 1910s-1920s Korea under Japanese Occupation. This book undoubtedly offers a satisfying insight into an era of history that is altogether shocking and interesting, yet rarely explored outside of the region, and does a great job of highlighting the competing forces of Japanese vs Korean nationalism, Communist vs Capitalist ideologies and ideals of tradition vs modernity that gripped Korea during this time. At times the alternating perspectives of multiple characters across chapters did seem confusing, however I thought Juhea Kim did a brilliant job of portraying how this period in history was experienced differently across classes, locations and ethnic groups. For me, Jade and her fellow Courtesans absolutely stole the show in this book, though the development of her friendship with JungHo was also a tender aspect of the novel. I’m so glad I read this and I would definitely recommend this to anyone interesting in historical or political fiction.

This sweeping saga tells of the lives of a young girl sold to a courtesan and the son of a poor hunter in Korea from 1917 to the 1960s. Annexed by Japan in 1910, life is becoming more difficult for the Koreans as their land is given to Japanese migrants, their taxes are raised, most of the rice harvest is sent to Japan and it is impossible to find enough to feed their families.

Jade considers herself lucky to be sold to a courtesan who has several pupils she clothes and feeds and educates her in the arts and music they will need as courtesans. Her ability to act and dance will later see her playing starring roles in silent movies and leaving her profession of courtesan behind her. While still children, Jade meets orphan boy, JungHo, son of a peasant farmer and hunter, outside her house in Seoul where he makes his living as leader of a street gang of child thieves and pick pockets. He will later become swept up in the Korean movement for independence.

Juhea Kim’s debut novel and epic tale is a fascinating look at Korea under the brutality of Japanese rule. The history is well researched and blends in well with the lives of the characters. I never felt particularly invested in any of the characters and their relationships which seemed to lack emotional depth, perhaps because there was so much story to be told in one novel. However, it is an immersive and satisfying read, particularly if you enjoy historical novels.

---- A Summary (No Spoilers)…
In Pyongyang 1917, Jade is sold to Miss Silver's school to learn how to be a courtesan. We follow Jade and her friends, Lotus and Luna, to Seoul, where they grow up amidst modernisation, war, and Japanese imperialism. With a diverse cast of complex characters, Kim paints an intricate picture of Korea's fight for independence.
It is obvious and admirable that immense research went into the writing of this novel. There is plenty of great historical fictions out there that teach you something new, but what made this book stand out for me was that it revolved around the lives of a few individuals. When I say lives, I mean entire lives. We watch Jade, a central character, grow from a plain child into a beautiful actress into a refined elderly woman. Because the book spans over so many years and so many lives, it was delightful to watch the characters orbit around each other, developing intergenerational links and meeting one another in moments that felt like fate.
I am especially impressed that this is Kim's debut novel - it is intricate and ambitious. I am excited to see what Kim comes up with next. 

---- Japanese Imperialism In Korea
Beasts of a Little Land unfolds in Pyongyang 1917 with the meeting of a Korean peasant, Japanese officer, and a tiger. Some context is important here. Joseon Korea was annexed as part of the Japanese Empire in 1910, eventually ending in 1945 with Japanese surrender at the end of World War 2. Korean peace was short-lived however, with the breakout of the Korean War in 1950. Japanese occupation was a tumultuous time in Korea, with independence protests (including the famous March First Movement in 1919), rapid socio-political changes, and civilian oppression. 
In Beasts of a Little Land, Kim takes us through these events from the perspective of a few beautifully developed characters - bringing life and colour to desperation and hardship.

---- In 3 Words
Complex - complex characters who are not black and white; this story feels realer because it is rich and complex.
Holistic - because we see the characters grow over such a long period of time and because the book takes place over such an extensive and tumultuous era, the book feels like a holistic exploration of the social and political milieu of Korea in the early 20th Century.
Important - Tragically, this is a relatively unexplored period of history and captures unique and marginalised voices. This makes this one of the more important and recommendable pieces of historical fiction out there alongside books like The Confessions of Frannie Langton and Mister Pip (recommended below).

---- Jo's Recommendation
This is a book I highly recommend to readers who want completely immerse themselves in a story. The narration is slow-paced and drags in some places, but like any well-developed slow story, the ending is all the more satisfying and the characters feel all the more intimate.

---- You'll also love…
The Confessions of Frannie Langton // Sara Collins - for another piece of historical fiction with a strong female lead. Both stories are deeply researched and informative, but Collins's characters feel more developed.
Mister Pip // Lloyd Jones - for another novel about the horrors of invasion and imperialism. Mister Pip is set in Bougainville in the 1980s-1990s. Of the two, Mister Pip is the more harrowing novel as it is more graphic and presented from the heart-breaking perspective of a child.
War and Peace // Leo Tolstoy - for another long novel that details the lives of a raft of characters in war time. Both books have insightful discussions of human nature, politics, and history.

Amazing! I was on a mission to read more Asian literature and this has absolutely hit the spot. I didn’t know anything about Korea in the early 1900s, but I have learnt so much just through enjoying this book.
Highly recommended.

I think this will be one of the hottest reads of 2022.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me read the book early in exchange for my feedback.

An enjoyable read altogether. I like to learn history while reading and the novel certainly managed that, but the dialogue and characters suffered in return. I never rooted for the main characters and it all felt really distant to me. Sexual assault scenes and other highly emotional situations were told too matter of fact for my liking.

If you enjoyed The Exiles, The Island of Sea Women or Pachinko, you might want to check this out.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Really enjoyed this book, could not put it down. Will definitely read more by this author. .

I absolutely loved this! What a fantastic plot, beautifully written, intertwining the relationships between the characters in such an ingenious and realistic way.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

While the setting in this novel is certainly well rendered the dialogues just do not ring true to life. They are full of anachronism that really took me out of the story. I'm sure this will appeal to other readers who aren't too fussed about whether the dialogues in a book with a historical setting sound authentic or not.

"Everything about Jejudo is different from the mainland, starting from the sea. It is light turquoise near a sandy beach, and deepens to emerald-green and sapphire-blue farther from the shore. In some places where the black volcanic rock dashes off to a sudden bluff, the indigo waves look like they’re reflecting the night sky even when it’s sunny and bright. In midwinter the camellia trees with their glossy green leaves were in full bloom, and when the wind blew, their red flowers fell on the black cliffs or tumbled into the sea. The air smelled of salt and ripe tangerines.

Hesoon used to say that Jejudo is the most beautiful place in the world. I haven’t seen much of the world to truly know, but she may have been right."

Beasts of a Little Land, set in Korea from 1917-1965 is both a historical novel (of the Japanese occupation of Korea and the independence movement)combined with a love story, but one where neither the tides of history nor love run smoothly, both frequently diverted by tragedy and division.

I say 'love story', but this would better be described as a story of Inyeon (인연), or more specifically first-love Inyeon 첫사랑과의 인연, a concept that denotes a strong life-long connection between two people, here Jade and JungHo (정호), both born in the latter half of the first decade of the 20th century.

Their first connection is coincidental and one that the characters themselves don't realise even when a clue emerges decades later.

The hanja in JungHo's name mean Righteous Tiger, and Korean tigers (한국 호랑이) are a key motif through the novel. As the story opens in 1917, a Japanese party in the Korean mountains are being (deliberately we discover later) astray by Baek, a travelling silk merchant who they have press-ganged as a guide. At the same time a hunter Nam is tracking what he thinks is a leopard, only to find it is a young tiger, which he doesn't shoot, remembering his father's advice, despite his own reputation for having killed a huge beast, that one only kills a tiger to protect one's own life.

Nam has gone too far from home and into the snow in his hunt, and collapses from exhaustion, but is discovered by the Japanese party, who first save him, with heat, food and drink, but then rely on his skills to save them and guide them back down the mountain. En-route they encounter a much larger tiger, but Nam scares it away, saving both the men and the animal from harming each other. On arrival back in the town, a Japanese major executes Baek for his incompetence, while a captain gives Nam the gift of a silver cigarette case.

In another strand of the story, we discover that Baek traded silk with Silver, a courtesan in Pyongyang. But secretly Silver also raises funds for the independence movement, which Baek then traffics back to them. Learning that Nam's family buried Baek, Silver sends them a gift of a silver ring. Meanwhile, Jade, a young girl is sold to Silver as an apprentice.

A few years later, Jade is sent to live with another courtesan in Seoul and at the same time Nam's son, Jung-ho, arrives in the city from the countryside, making his living as leader of a gang of beggars, his two prized possessions, which he keeps for the rest of his life, the ring and the cigarette case, both inherited from his late father. And there the two meet for the first time.

Rather neatly the Inyeon concept enables what otherwise might be seen as contrived plot coincidences to become a key part of the book's themes. I mentioned the connection between Jade and Jung-ho, but there are several such connections - almost 30 years later Jung-ho's life is spared when the Japanese captain, now much more senior, recognises the cigarette case. And yet, as so often in this novel, tragedy follows redemption, and post-war the same cases leads to him being condemned as a collaborator, despite his war heroics in the resistance.

Some favourite quotes:

The island paradise of Jeju-do, where Jade finishes the novel in a first-person postscript - this quote is where she first heard of it, from her aunt's maid:

"Jade begged their maid Hesoon to tell them stories of her childhood in Jejudo, the magical southern island where there were trees without any branches and wild horses running freely under a snowcapped mountain. Hesoon said her mother and her four sisters were all seawomen who dove in the water to harvest abalones, holding their breath for two minutes at a time."

The rather fractured nature of the resistance (which was to carry forward into post-independence factionalism):

"MYUNGBO RETURNED HOME LATE that week after meeting with his comrades in the Coalition. It tied together groups from all points of the political spectrum under the one banner of independence: the Anarchists, the Communists, the Nationalists, the Christians, the Buddhists, and the Cheondoists. He was one of the senior leaders of the Communists, but among their ranks there were those who saw the struggle as primarily between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat, the rich and the poor, and not between Japan and Korea, as MyungBo had always believed. The Anarchist credo was that any social order was destructive and oppressive. The Nationalists were the conservatives and some of them put more faith in America than in Korea itself. They also opposed the Communists almost as often as they fought the Japanese. Then some of the Christians were Pacifists, although a few of them had gladly assassinated Japanese generals and governors before putting a gun to their own heads.

All the groups believed that Japan would send every Korean man to the mines and every Korean woman to the military brothels rather than admit defeat; their opinions diverged on what they could do to implode Japan from within before that point."

The Andong Kim family (from which my mother-in-law originates):

"Where is your family from?”
“I was born in Seoul, but my family is originally from Andong.”
“You mean you’re an Andong-Kim?”
SungSoo blurted out, and HanChol gave a slight bow of his head. His intuition about the kid being exceptional might prove true, after all. He surely came from an impoverished cadet branch, but he still belonged to one of the most important families in the country—one that even kings have feared over the centuries."

Historical love-stories aren't really my thing, so 3 stars for me but 4 more generally.