Description
Description
A lyrical and suspenseful debut novel about a mysteriously gifted Korean family confronting the brutality of the Japanese empire, Honey in the Wound is an epic tale of survival and the reclamation of power. A sister disappears and returns as a tiger. A mother's voice compels the truth from any tongue. A granddaughter divines secrets in others' dreams. These women are all of one lineage--a Korean family split across decades and borders by Japanese imperialism. At this saga's heart is Young-Ja, a girl who infuses food with her emotions. She revels in her gift for cooking, nourishing the people she loves with her cheerfulness. But her sunny childhood comes to an end in 1931 when Japanese soldiers crush her family's defiance against the Empire. Young-Ja is cast adrift, her food turning increasingly bitter with grief. When a Korean rebel fighter notices her talents, however, she is whisked off to Manchuria to join a secretive sisterhood of beautiful teahouse spies. There, Young-Ja finds a new sense of belonging and starts using her abilities for the resistance. But the Imperial Army is not yet finished with her... Decades later, Young-Ja lives alone in Seoul, withdrawn from the world until her Tokyo-born granddaughter Rinako bursts into her life with the ability to see into dreams. In cultivating a tentative bond, they confront the long-buried past in a stunning emotional climax. As an unforgettable family perseveres in the long shadow of colonialism, Honey in the Wound transports readers to mountain forests where tiger-girls stalk, to Manchurian teahouses and opium dens where charming smiles veil secrets, and to the modern metropolises of Tokyo and Seoul where restless ghosts stir. This debut novel is a tender yet powerful multi-generational drama that shines light onto the twentieth century's darkest corners and gives voice to those who bore witness.
About the Author
About the Author
Jiyoung Han was born in Seoul, Korea, and grew up in the American Midwest. She has lived and worked in four continents but now calls San Francisco home. When not writing, she conducts research in climate change and human decision-making. Honey in the Wound is her debut novel.
Critical Reviews
Critical Reviews
"This fantastical multigenerational saga highlights the Korean women who fought back against Japanese imperialism in the 1930s and beyond. . . . It's a gorgeous story full of richly drawn characters and a thread of magic." --BookRiot
"Honey in the Wound is a spellbinding debut, both a lyrical fable and unflinching testimony. Jiyoung Han deftly weaves magical realism into a devastating account of the Japanese Imperial Army's brutality in the early 20th century, granting her characters--and voices like them silenced throughout history--power and agency. The resulting work leaves one shaken. Absolutely unforgettable." --Karissa Chen, USA Today bestselling author of Homeseeking "This novel is a testimony of, and a testament to, the indestructible spirit of women. It forces you to hear and see, to bear witness, to make sure nothing like comfort women ever happens again. Terrific writing. Enchanting in every way!" --Chikodili Emelumadu, author of Dazzling
"A spellbinding epic that captures the resilience and spirit of Jiyoung Han's unforgettably drawn characters. I'll be thinking about this powerful debut for many years to come." --Jung Yun, author of Shelter and O Beautiful "A fierce and mythic family saga, Honey in the Wound moves with the urgency of anti-colonial resistance and the grace of folklore. Even as history bears down, its most magical moments rise from the sorrow, fury, and enduring love of ordinary lives. Refusing to let the ghosts of the Japanese empire fall silent, the novel honors the truth still burning in the wound." --Silvia Park, author of Luminous "A rich sweeping novel that brings together magical realism and the brutalities of the Pacific War. An incredible multi-generational story with unforgettable characters. Make time for it." --Emma Nanami Strenner, author of My Other Heart
"How does memory travel through time, bridging generations through its different forms? Riveting and poignant, Han's debut explores how memory transforms into secrets, dreams, and testimonies that bond people across distance and time. . . . Powerfully bridges the individual with the collective." --Booklist
"Honey can be a salve or a sweetener but, as Han illustrates so vividly, not all wounds can be healed by the oft-employed Korean folk remedy. . . . Han has incorporated extensive research into a revelatory work of harrowing fiction. . . . [Han] validates the hidden powers of 'powerless' women." --Kirkus Reviews
"In Han's courageous debut, magic is a form of resistance which, like hope, bolsters the human spirit. Within seemingly ordinary people, there are extraordinary powers. This isn't just a story, it's a record of the brutality of invasion, occupation, and war. Honey in the Wound is a book to remember, and Han is an author to watch." --Eve J. Chung, USA Today bestselling author of The Daughters of Shandong "With heartbreaking passion, Honey in the Wound refuses to turn away from the dark underbelly of history, putting words to those who are forgotten and who survive despite. Jiyoung Han's prose is lush and fiercely inventive, wresting immense beauty and hope from great despair. This is a startling and unforgettable debut." --Janika Oza, author of A History of Burning
"Honey in the Wound is unspeakable history given the power of myth and fable. Every word is truer than truth." --Anton Hur, author of Toward Eternity
"Poignant . . . Han blends folklore and magical realism with Korean history in her remarkable debut, a family saga spanning the 20th century. . . . Han brilliantly immerses readers in her birth country's history and offers a testament to women's strength in the face of brutality. It's a knockout." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Han's writing is lush and moving, and the work is both inventive and deeply researched--sometimes reading as fable, other times as historical account or ancestral narrative." --Electric Literature
"In this family, the women are magic. . . . [They] subvert expectations, finding ways to reclaim their voices, even when they are repressed and it's not easy to be heard. Watching each character find a source of strength and fight for her sense of self is remarkable. The magical elements of the story don't distract from the historical detail, but are instead presented as inherent to the women's lives, part of the fabric of their existence and resistance. Han's prose and imagery are sharp throughout the novel, giving a clear sense of time and place, and making the characters come alive in their trauma, joy, sorrow and connection. Honey in the Wound is a moving demonstration of the way that individual acts of resistance can preserve memories and stories that challenge the legacies of empire and colonization." --BookPage
Publishing Information
Publishing Information
Publisher:
Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster
Pub date:
2026-04-07
Length:
320 pages
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