Beasts of a Little Land by Juhea Kim | Spoiler-Free Review

Before you read: 

Trigger warnings for this novel include rape, murder, scenes of war, mention of addiction, physical and sexual abuse, and death. Please consider these warnings before committing to reading.

Beasts of a Little Land by Juhea Kim is an adult historical fiction novel set in Korea, spanning the middle decades of the 20th century. It begins in 1918 in the early years of the Japanese occupation, and ends in 1965, twenty years after WWII. There is a wide cast of characters that get their own, limited points of view in this novel, but the two main characters we follow are Jade, a young girl sold to be a courtesan; and Nam JungHo, an orphan who becomes the leader of a street gang. There are also three other characters of note to mention: Yamanda Genzo, a Japanese soldier; Kim HanChol, a rickshaw driver; and Lee MyungBo, a political activist and resistance fighter. All of these characters are connected in ways you discover throughout the book. Jade's last name is never mentioned. 

The novel is split into four parts, each one more heartbreaking than the last. We see the brutality Korea suffered under the Japanese regime, the transition from traditional to modern practices, and even the intricacies of Korean Communist Party. Throughout it all, we learn about Jade and JungHo's friendship, their feelings, and what it means to love. 

“There are just two things in the world that give you true confidence. One is overcoming difficulties on your own, and the other is being deeply loved. If you experience both, then you will be confident for the rest of your life.”

Despite how gut-wrenching this novel is, I came away fairly unmoved. I never found myself getting attached to any of the characters, though Jade's storyline was the most compelling to me. I read feeling a sort of detachment, instead of being immersed in the story. Of course, when there was a particularly saddening or brutal scene, I felt for the characters, but this book didn't have me crying. However this is not a critique on the writing style, as this was one of the better points of the novel. Juhea Kim's writing style reminded me of Min Jin Lee's Pachinko, or Asha Lemmie's Fifty Words for Rain. There was an underlying sense of hope and beauty in the words, even though the overall story was rather depressing. 

I recommend this book to those who enjoy WWII-centered historical fiction, as well as those who enjoy a good cry. 

I gave this book four out of five stars, and a score of 7.29 on CAWPILE.