Free Books Online Black Flower

Black Flower

Young-Ha Kim

Hardcover | Pages: 320 pages

Rating: 3.46 | 375 Users | 49 Reviews

Point About Books Black Flower

Title	:	Black Flower
Author	:	Young-Ha Kim
Book Format	:	Hardcover
Book Edition	:	First Edition
Pages	:	Pages: 320 pages
Published	:	October 30th 2012 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (first published January 1st 2003)
Categories	:	Historical. Historical Fiction. Fiction. Cultural. Asia

Explanation To Books Black Flower

“Kim takes a small moment of Korean history . . . and transforms this moment into a powerful, sweeping epic that resonates across continents and oceans, bridging East and West . . . The scope and breadth of Kim’s talent is evident on every page of this breathtaking novel.” —List

In 1904, as the Russo-Japanese War deepened, Asia was parceled out to rising powers and the Korean empire was annexed by Japan. Facing war and the loss of their nation, more than a thousand Koreans left their homes to seek possibility elsewhere—in unknown Mexico.

After a long sea voyage, these emigrants—thieves and royals, priests and soldiers, orphans and entire families—disembark with the promise of land. Soon they discover the truth: they have been sold into indentured servitude.

Aboard ship, an orphan, Ijeong, fell in love with the daughter of a noble; separated when the various haciendados claim their laborers, he vows to find her. After years of working in the punishing heat of the henequen fields, the Koreans are caught in the midst of a Mexican revolution. Some flee with Ijeong to Guatemala, where they found a New Korea amid Mayan ruins.

A tale of star-crossed love, political turmoil, and the dangers of seeking freedom in a new world, Black Flower is an epic story based on a little-known moment in history.

List Books In Favor Of Black Flower

Original Title:	검은 꽃
ISBN:	0547691130 (ISBN13: 9780547691138)
Edition Language:	English
Literary Awards:	Man Asian Literary Prize Nominee (2012)

Rating About Books Black Flower

Ratings: 3.46 From 375 Users | 49 Reviews

Comment On About Books Black Flower

In 1905, 1033 Koreans left Korea on a British ship to work in the haciendas of the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico. Later, a small number joined the guerrillas fighting the Cabrera regime in Guatemala, where they founded a short-lived government of New Korea in the jungle before being wiped out by the government forces. This historical novel tells their story. The main characters are Kim Ijeong and Yi Yeonsu, respectively a poor orphan boy and a daughter of the ruling family, who fall in love aboard

I'm not articulate enough to point out what precisely what is missing from this book. I can say that you will not find any one else more interested in this particular time in history. Late 1800s/early 1900s Korean history is kind of my thing, so it's not as lack of content or interest. It's just that something tangible is missing that would have made this a great novel. Kim Young-ha is an accomplished writer and someone whose work I actively seek out. Having said that, this was my least favorite

Short Review: Interesting story on a little known piece of history. ...Makes me wonder if every major author has at least one work that is historical fiction.Long ReviewThe backdrop of <> is a departure from Kim's other translated work, shedding light on a relatively obscure piece of Korean and Central American history that brought a small group of Koreans unknowingly into Mexican slavery. The material is presented true to Kim's form, juggling a myriad of backgrounds and motivations that

As a story, a novel, this falls pretty flat. Minimal character building, not much of a plot. As historical fiction, something attempting to impart info about a specific time and specific people, this is pretty good. The jumping between people and skipping huge chunks of time all work to give a good overview. So, read this for the history and not the story. Think of it as a fictionalized Wikipedia page.

I wanted to like this book more. Largely in part because it is based on actual sad and tragic forgotten footnote in history. In 1905 over a thousand Koreans sailed to the Yucatan seeking refuge from the impending Japanese occupation. Duped into virtual slavery this book details their plight. The problem is it reads more like a research paper than a novel. An even and somewhat artless narrative and underdeveloped characters. Not sure if the translation is partially to blame but it clearly didnt

I enjoyed the vivid cast of characters. There is not a single protagonist. Instead, it starts off with several characters in a common setting, which soon spreads out into many minor stories with different paths and outcomes. I was peeved by the narration, but I can't tell if that's because of an intentional deadpan writing style or the result of the translation from Korean to English. Regardless of the writing, it began to pick up my interest as I got further into it. Some parts may seem to

3.5 stars. One reason Im drawn to books in translation is authors set their characters and stories in times and places Im not very knowledgeable of. Young-Ha Kims novel is a great example of this. I had no idea Koreans were sold into servitude on Mexican haciendas around 1905 and enjoyed Kims (fictional) exploration of this fact.