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The Voices of Heaven
During the final years of the Japanese Occupation, Gui-yong and Eum-chun strike gold by finding a love as sweet as sticky rice. But their love for each other and for their secretly adopted daugh- ter is not enough, as they must soon accept the impossible―a mistress moving in to bear Gui-yong the male child deemed necessary in a society still smoldering in Confucianism.
306 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2013
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About the author
Maija Rhee Devine
4 books13 followersMaija Rhee Devine, an award-winning Korean-born writer and Korean War survivor, writes from her experience of growing up in Korea and living through the war in her novel, The Voices of Heaven (Seoul Selection USA, Irvine, CA) The link to her TEDx Talk of 2/22/14 about the novel and what it reveals about current S. Korea is:http://youtu.be/GFD-6JFLF5A
The novel won the following awards:
1) Winner: 2013 ForeWord Reviews Book of The Year Award: Silver Award: Multicultural; Bronze: Military & War
https://indiefab.forewordreviews.com/...
https://indiefab.forewordreviews.com/...
2) Bronze Medal, 2014 Independent Publisher Book Award, Best Adult Fiction E-Book Category: http://www.independentpublisher.com/a...
3) Honorable Mention, 2013 Eric Hoffer Book Award for Short Prose & Independent Books, Category Prizes, E-book Fiction:
http://www.hofferaward.com/HAbookwinn...
http://www.theusreview.com/USRhoffer.... (Full posting on The US
Review of Books website)
4) Longlisted for the 2014 Chautauqua Institution Book Award (www.ciweb.org) (29 out of 155 submissions)
Reviewers’ comments:
*“Devine writes beautifully about a culture/society not often portrayed in mainstream fiction. Her characters are well-drawn and her depiction of the importance of “tradition” in Korean life rings true.”
*“a fresh and unique story”
*“a masterpiece of historic fiction”
Her fiction, nonfiction, and poetry have appeared in Michigan Quarterly Review, Boulevard, North American Review, The Kenyon Review, and anthologies, holds a BA in English from Sogang University in Seoul and an MA in English from St. Louis University. Writing honors include an NEA grant and nominations for a Pushcart Prize and an O. Henry Award.
The author is married to Michael J. Devine, the director (retired) of the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library in Independence, MO.
Other published work by the author:
Long Walks on Short Days, poems about China, Korea, and U.S. (Finishing Line Press; on Amazon)
Her next project: a novel and a poetry book about Korean comfort women
The novel won the following awards:
1) Winner: 2013 ForeWord Reviews Book of The Year Award: Silver Award: Multicultural; Bronze: Military & War
https://indiefab.forewordreviews.com/...
https://indiefab.forewordreviews.com/...
2) Bronze Medal, 2014 Independent Publisher Book Award, Best Adult Fiction E-Book Category: http://www.independentpublisher.com/a...
3) Honorable Mention, 2013 Eric Hoffer Book Award for Short Prose & Independent Books, Category Prizes, E-book Fiction:
http://www.hofferaward.com/HAbookwinn...
http://www.theusreview.com/USRhoffer.... (Full posting on The US
Review of Books website)
4) Longlisted for the 2014 Chautauqua Institution Book Award (www.ciweb.org) (29 out of 155 submissions)
Reviewers’ comments:
*“Devine writes beautifully about a culture/society not often portrayed in mainstream fiction. Her characters are well-drawn and her depiction of the importance of “tradition” in Korean life rings true.”
*“a fresh and unique story”
*“a masterpiece of historic fiction”
Her fiction, nonfiction, and poetry have appeared in Michigan Quarterly Review, Boulevard, North American Review, The Kenyon Review, and anthologies, holds a BA in English from Sogang University in Seoul and an MA in English from St. Louis University. Writing honors include an NEA grant and nominations for a Pushcart Prize and an O. Henry Award.
The author is married to Michael J. Devine, the director (retired) of the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library in Independence, MO.
Other published work by the author:
Long Walks on Short Days, poems about China, Korea, and U.S. (Finishing Line Press; on Amazon)
Her next project: a novel and a poetry book about Korean comfort women
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
November 24, 2021
I thought that this book was beautifully written and carefully crafted in order to extract certain reactions and emotions from the reader especially in terms of connecting with each of the characters. I think that by alternating between the different perspectives of Soo-yang, Gui-young, Eum-chun and Mi-Na, it gives so much more depth to the story. Each character holds their own burdens and internal struggles as they try to uphold cultural traditions. I think it is admirable how the author refuses to take out or white wash any of the content and overall, it's brutally honest and accurate on every event that occurred.
As a Korean-American growing up surrounded by western culture, concepts like boy-preference or historical events like the Korean War are things that are rather unfamiliar and untouched. But I think that after reading this book, I felt like I was starting to understand the pains and hardships of my parents, my grandparents, and the people who have come before me. I think especially with Mi-Na's story, even though her struggles are not one that I have directly dealt with, the pressure to fulfill a parent's expectations and be "good enough" is something that I can sympathize with and is something that is still so common regardless of how much our society has modernized and how much situations have changed. Even though we're no longer in a war and many of us no longer have to worry about lack of food, we can still see the same themes in our society. I love how this book urges readers to make that connection between the problems in the book and the problems in the world of the readers.
I think that this book is a must-read for anyone regardless of their age or gender and I really enjoyed reading it.
As a Korean-American growing up surrounded by western culture, concepts like boy-preference or historical events like the Korean War are things that are rather unfamiliar and untouched. But I think that after reading this book, I felt like I was starting to understand the pains and hardships of my parents, my grandparents, and the people who have come before me. I think especially with Mi-Na's story, even though her struggles are not one that I have directly dealt with, the pressure to fulfill a parent's expectations and be "good enough" is something that I can sympathize with and is something that is still so common regardless of how much our society has modernized and how much situations have changed. Even though we're no longer in a war and many of us no longer have to worry about lack of food, we can still see the same themes in our society. I love how this book urges readers to make that connection between the problems in the book and the problems in the world of the readers.
I think that this book is a must-read for anyone regardless of their age or gender and I really enjoyed reading it.
May 18, 2014
Adding my voice to "The Voices of Heaven”
Something remarkable and poetic happens when Devine transcribes her Korean childhood into a fictional world in English. Beyond the exquisite beauty of her storytelling live the voices of another place and time that will stay with me much the way Pearl Buck’s work has lingered with me for so many years.
With deftness, Devine shifts point of view between mother, father, child and second wife, mirroring the complexity and dimension of their relationships during the rapid changes of the Korean War. Her theme of “female as second to male” reverberates across the decades and the oceans to my own heart, and reminds me that the “voices of heaven” which speak up for women and girls must also include my own.
Something remarkable and poetic happens when Devine transcribes her Korean childhood into a fictional world in English. Beyond the exquisite beauty of her storytelling live the voices of another place and time that will stay with me much the way Pearl Buck’s work has lingered with me for so many years.
With deftness, Devine shifts point of view between mother, father, child and second wife, mirroring the complexity and dimension of their relationships during the rapid changes of the Korean War. Her theme of “female as second to male” reverberates across the decades and the oceans to my own heart, and reminds me that the “voices of heaven” which speak up for women and girls must also include my own.
December 17, 2015
This heart-rending tale of a woman and her adopted daughter takes place in South Korea before and during the devastating Korean war. The book explores the themes of Korean women: both the helplessness that they feel in a culture where males have primary value, as well as the strength they must exhibit in face of such injustice and the disruption of culture and family brought about by the Korean war. It should be an eye-opener for those who do not know Korean history or culture.
August 2, 2014
I met author Maija Devine at a writer's workshop on Lake Como, Italy, where she did a reading from this autobiographical rendering of Korea as a young girl. She was both hilarious and thoughtful, as is the book. Details, color and smells arise, as does love when you least expect it. A revealing glimpse of this world apart, where the birth of a female baby meant not celebration, but that the husband could invite a live-in mistress in hopes of producing a male.
June 1, 2013
A five star review for "The Voices of Heaven" by Maija Rhee Devine. You will want to read this book!
January 2, 2014
The Voices of Heaven is the first book I've finished in this new year, and although I'm about a dozen reviews behind, I can not delay this one. It moves to the head of the line, and I must thank Johanna Ramos-Boyer for sending me such a lovely book.
This may be a long and wandering excuse for a review, so I will give a brief synopsis and mention that I found the book fascinating, touching, informative, and beautifully written.
My overview of the book:
The story begins right before North Korea invades South Korea in 1950. Although the threat of war hangs in the air, for the most part, life in Seoul is going on as usual.
The focus is on a couple who have been happily married for 15 years, but who have had no son. Mi-na, their young daughter, was adopted, but this secret has been kept from her, and Mi-na feels that she has failed her parents by not having been born a boy. When the grandmother tells Gui-Yong that he must take a "second wife," he submits knowing that his duty is to produce a son; yet he dreads hurting Eum-Chun, his beloved wife, and the entire situation.
Everyone tries hard to make the new family work, but everyone suffers. The fact that each member of the new family does his or her best to find a way to exist does not change the suffering of Gui-Young, Eum-Chun, or Soo-Yang (the "second wife"), all of whom feel obligated to follow tradition. Mi-Na must also learn to share her father and to accept the fact that she is partly responsible for the situation by not having been born a boy. The entire family keeps Mi-Na's adoption secret thinking to protect her, but unintentionally giving her a far greater burden. Yet because all of those involved are good people, we become invested in each of them and in their efforts to cope.
The novel moves from the period right before the war, through the war itself, and for decades afterward.
----------
Digressions:
Voices of Heaven is a remarkable novel. I guess I always thought of the Korean War as having taken place just outside of the tents of M*A*S*H, both the film and the television series. How limiting. This novel gives insight into a culture that, in spite of the long Japanese Occupation, still retained traditions from the Joseon Dynasty--profoundly different from our own culture in social norms and mores, religion, family structure, and daily life.
If you have read this blog regularly, you know that I'm a fan of Korean drama, and in watching these shows, especially contemporary drama, I've always been fascinated by social mores that still exist in South Korea--a country that is so modern, so technologically advanced, so fashionable, and in many ways, so Westernized and globally conscious. Reading this novel has given me a much better context in which to place current events.
South Korea is both so modernized and so steeped in traditional thought. The importance of sons, the authority of family, the role of women--still have great impact. The continuing residue of the Korean War and the ever-present threat of the craziness of North Korea can't help but have an influence. A tiny country surrounded by North Korea, Russia, Japan, and China that has managed great economic recovery and global significance, despite is size and devastating history. Yet, in many ways, our (Western) awareness and knowledge of South Korea is minimal.
The popularity of South Korea's film and television industries have made many more people conscious of South Korea, but Voices of Heaven provides not only a fascinating story of family, but also a more authentic glimpse of individual struggles and of both the positives and the negatives of Korean tradition.
I loved this book and its characters. I'm grateful to Johanna Ramos-Boyer of JRB Communications for sharing this book with me and to Maija Rhee Devine for writing such a wonderful, thoughtful, and sensitive novel.
Literature/Historic Fiction. 2013. 316 pages.
This may be a long and wandering excuse for a review, so I will give a brief synopsis and mention that I found the book fascinating, touching, informative, and beautifully written.
My overview of the book:
The story begins right before North Korea invades South Korea in 1950. Although the threat of war hangs in the air, for the most part, life in Seoul is going on as usual.
The focus is on a couple who have been happily married for 15 years, but who have had no son. Mi-na, their young daughter, was adopted, but this secret has been kept from her, and Mi-na feels that she has failed her parents by not having been born a boy. When the grandmother tells Gui-Yong that he must take a "second wife," he submits knowing that his duty is to produce a son; yet he dreads hurting Eum-Chun, his beloved wife, and the entire situation.
Everyone tries hard to make the new family work, but everyone suffers. The fact that each member of the new family does his or her best to find a way to exist does not change the suffering of Gui-Young, Eum-Chun, or Soo-Yang (the "second wife"), all of whom feel obligated to follow tradition. Mi-Na must also learn to share her father and to accept the fact that she is partly responsible for the situation by not having been born a boy. The entire family keeps Mi-Na's adoption secret thinking to protect her, but unintentionally giving her a far greater burden. Yet because all of those involved are good people, we become invested in each of them and in their efforts to cope.
The novel moves from the period right before the war, through the war itself, and for decades afterward.
----------
Digressions:
Voices of Heaven is a remarkable novel. I guess I always thought of the Korean War as having taken place just outside of the tents of M*A*S*H, both the film and the television series. How limiting. This novel gives insight into a culture that, in spite of the long Japanese Occupation, still retained traditions from the Joseon Dynasty--profoundly different from our own culture in social norms and mores, religion, family structure, and daily life.
If you have read this blog regularly, you know that I'm a fan of Korean drama, and in watching these shows, especially contemporary drama, I've always been fascinated by social mores that still exist in South Korea--a country that is so modern, so technologically advanced, so fashionable, and in many ways, so Westernized and globally conscious. Reading this novel has given me a much better context in which to place current events.
South Korea is both so modernized and so steeped in traditional thought. The importance of sons, the authority of family, the role of women--still have great impact. The continuing residue of the Korean War and the ever-present threat of the craziness of North Korea can't help but have an influence. A tiny country surrounded by North Korea, Russia, Japan, and China that has managed great economic recovery and global significance, despite is size and devastating history. Yet, in many ways, our (Western) awareness and knowledge of South Korea is minimal.
The popularity of South Korea's film and television industries have made many more people conscious of South Korea, but Voices of Heaven provides not only a fascinating story of family, but also a more authentic glimpse of individual struggles and of both the positives and the negatives of Korean tradition.
I loved this book and its characters. I'm grateful to Johanna Ramos-Boyer of JRB Communications for sharing this book with me and to Maija Rhee Devine for writing such a wonderful, thoughtful, and sensitive novel.
Literature/Historic Fiction. 2013. 316 pages.
January 7, 2016
This book opened up a culture and a historical event of which I did not previously have much knowledge. It was a simultaneously wonderful and heart-wrenching story. Central to the book is how the Confucius principles and the importance of a male heir in the Korean culture pressured even the most liberal thinking people into situations that were not emotionally healthy.
Devine's skillful pen alternated between the perspectives of each major character every five pages or so which presented a well-rounded presentation of how the Korean culture, values, and events of the 1950s were experienced by different people. I appreciated the unspoken parallel desires of the father Gui-yong and the daughter Mi-na in longing for a more Western culture that would allow their family to remain in tact and to outwardly value each other the way they do inwardly. While Gui-yong is a central character and has many chapters devoted to his perspective I am so glad Devine left the bulk of the book to the female perspectives of the first wife Eum-chun, the "second" wife Soo-yang, and Mi-na. If this book is an accurate reflection of Korean culture these voices are not heard very often.
Devine's skillful pen alternated between the perspectives of each major character every five pages or so which presented a well-rounded presentation of how the Korean culture, values, and events of the 1950s were experienced by different people. I appreciated the unspoken parallel desires of the father Gui-yong and the daughter Mi-na in longing for a more Western culture that would allow their family to remain in tact and to outwardly value each other the way they do inwardly. While Gui-yong is a central character and has many chapters devoted to his perspective I am so glad Devine left the bulk of the book to the female perspectives of the first wife Eum-chun, the "second" wife Soo-yang, and Mi-na. If this book is an accurate reflection of Korean culture these voices are not heard very often.
July 16, 2013
Living under the laws of Confucianism was a subject new for me. Maija R. Devine's book "The Voices of Heaven" told of the fear and sacrifice families must live under until their obligations to produce a male heir were met. I found it difficult to follow this book's plot due to the language. Usually I can pick up a book and read it without putting it down often. Staying interested in this book was not easy. Information that was gathered from this story caused me to finish reading it.
June 2, 2015
This book, mostly set in prewar South Korea, opens a window to a culture that most of the Western World does not know about. Fascinating insights into the Asian mind and the way a female child was treated compared to a boy. The first wife fails to produce a boy and a second wife is taken into the house. Guilt, turmoil, an adopted daughter, a mother determined to see that she becomes someone special. Very ethnic and authentic. Rich in images from that time period.
January 1, 2017
So much of this story revealed daily truths about a culture a world away from mine, and I learned about the people's challenges, joys, and humanity. Because most of it was set in the years of and surrounding the War in Korea, it provided timely lessons about how people survive, still find ways to love each other, and do what they can to improve life despite horrific hardships. I highly recommend this.
April 4, 2014
A remarkable story and an amazing woman whom I had the good fortune of meeting. Her publishers, she said, were more interested in the story of a man living with two women, and much less interested in the little girl, which I was sorry to hear. She is truly a remarkable, and very interesting woman.
November 14, 2021
This book can be viewed from multiple perspectives: historical fiction; drama resulting from strict adherence to cultural norms; or an adoption story.
The major sections are organized chronologically: pre-, during, or post-Korean war; a final section set in 2005. These epochs place external pressures on the characters, but the internal dynamics among the main characters drive the story telling.
Sections are told from the perspectives of one of the four principal actors: Eum-chun, Gui-yong, Soo-yang, and Mi-na. Korean society constrains the actions of the first three characters. Gui-yong, the male, married the love of his life, Eum-chun (whose name means the voice of heaven). But, she has not born him a son, forcing him to seek a second wife, Soo-yang. Each of these talks about their emotions and their obligations, and how they adapt to the very awkward situation of two wives to one husband.
Mi-na, the child of Gui-yong and Eum-chun, is guilt-bound because she is a girl. Had she been a boy, the need for a second wife would have been unnecessary. Yet she must learn to live with both “mommies.”
The author depicts well the restrictions placed on Koreans by the Confucian norms, and in her telling takes aim at those unfair norms to women in particular, but also to men.
In the last section, we meet Mi-na in 2005. Of all Gui-Yong’s children, only Mi-na driven by her mother Eum-chun to be better than any 10 boys, excels at school, gets a scholarship to study in the US, knowing she does not want to stay captured in the Korean society. When she returns, only the second wife, Soo-yang, still lives. At these two women’s meeting, Soo-yang, keeping a commitment to her husband and Mi-na’s father, reveals the truth of Mi-na’s birth, a truth that everyone knew, except of Mi-na. Mi-na needs to adjust her understanding of her parents, and how the love given to her by Eum-chun and Gui-yong mattered more than the blood in her veins.
The book gives a unique perspective on a slice of Korean life and the chains of Confucianism on women. I felt the author’s style was heavier than needed describing the women’s feelings.
FB. Set in the events before, during, and after the Korean war. But the power of the story is the dynamics of the four narrators. The male Gui-Yong, with wife, Eum-chun and their daughter Mi-na, is force to choose a second wife, Soo-yang, to create a male to carry on the family name. Equally important, Mi-na comes to understand a parent’s love for a child is not determined by blood.
The major sections are organized chronologically: pre-, during, or post-Korean war; a final section set in 2005. These epochs place external pressures on the characters, but the internal dynamics among the main characters drive the story telling.
Sections are told from the perspectives of one of the four principal actors: Eum-chun, Gui-yong, Soo-yang, and Mi-na. Korean society constrains the actions of the first three characters. Gui-yong, the male, married the love of his life, Eum-chun (whose name means the voice of heaven). But, she has not born him a son, forcing him to seek a second wife, Soo-yang. Each of these talks about their emotions and their obligations, and how they adapt to the very awkward situation of two wives to one husband.
Mi-na, the child of Gui-yong and Eum-chun, is guilt-bound because she is a girl. Had she been a boy, the need for a second wife would have been unnecessary. Yet she must learn to live with both “mommies.”
The author depicts well the restrictions placed on Koreans by the Confucian norms, and in her telling takes aim at those unfair norms to women in particular, but also to men.
In the last section, we meet Mi-na in 2005. Of all Gui-Yong’s children, only Mi-na driven by her mother Eum-chun to be better than any 10 boys, excels at school, gets a scholarship to study in the US, knowing she does not want to stay captured in the Korean society. When she returns, only the second wife, Soo-yang, still lives. At these two women’s meeting, Soo-yang, keeping a commitment to her husband and Mi-na’s father, reveals the truth of Mi-na’s birth, a truth that everyone knew, except of Mi-na. Mi-na needs to adjust her understanding of her parents, and how the love given to her by Eum-chun and Gui-yong mattered more than the blood in her veins.
The book gives a unique perspective on a slice of Korean life and the chains of Confucianism on women. I felt the author’s style was heavier than needed describing the women’s feelings.
FB. Set in the events before, during, and after the Korean war. But the power of the story is the dynamics of the four narrators. The male Gui-Yong, with wife, Eum-chun and their daughter Mi-na, is force to choose a second wife, Soo-yang, to create a male to carry on the family name. Equally important, Mi-na comes to understand a parent’s love for a child is not determined by blood.
May 7, 2017
What a GIFT this memoir-based novel was to discover. It's a subject, a time, and a place that was unfamiliar to me, and yet I felt connected to each of the protagonists, in turn, as the story of Mi-na's family evolved. It's as much about Korea during the late '40s and early '50s as it is about family bonds and secrets and the way loved ones communicate with one another. It's about competition among children for a parent's love and competition between adults for their children's respect. Despite it being so different culturally from my own experience (and my vicarious experience through literarture), it's also surprisingly familiar and universal. Ultimately, reading this novel is like going on a journey marked by witheld, carefully paced epiphanies while the young heroine comes of age and makes major discoveries of her own, even while important aspects of her own identity are witheld from her.
For me, Elena Ferrante's first book in her trilogy (plus), 'My Brilliant Friend' fell short of delivering a fully layered and nuanced view of competitive/supportive female friendship -- so much so that I haven't yet read the following books in her series. It's interesting now to view that novel by comparison to this one. Both are very big books in smaller formats than you'd expect, considering the depth of their narratives. Both feature gender issues from a powerful young woman's perspective. Both deal with poverty and war and witnessing a community in war's aftermath, especially the distinct struggles of these communities' men versus women. Maybe it's partly the phenomenon of "but everybody loves it" that unfairly cooled my interest in Ferrante, but the reverse is the case here. I can't wait for Maija Rhee Devine's book on Korea's comfort women of WW2 to be published, and I will certainly scout out her poetry.
'The Voices of Heaven' couldn't be more timely. Also, this novel is a wonderful study of literature. Its structural shifts and pacing, playful onomatopoeia and delicious descriptions of Korean foods (and some, I'd say, not so delicious!), as well as the visceral revelations of pain and parasites and problems of digestion were deftly handled. Devine plays with language beautifully -- blending the Korean and English with ease and joy. No wonder it won the Eric Hoffer Award, among others.
For me, Elena Ferrante's first book in her trilogy (plus), 'My Brilliant Friend' fell short of delivering a fully layered and nuanced view of competitive/supportive female friendship -- so much so that I haven't yet read the following books in her series. It's interesting now to view that novel by comparison to this one. Both are very big books in smaller formats than you'd expect, considering the depth of their narratives. Both feature gender issues from a powerful young woman's perspective. Both deal with poverty and war and witnessing a community in war's aftermath, especially the distinct struggles of these communities' men versus women. Maybe it's partly the phenomenon of "but everybody loves it" that unfairly cooled my interest in Ferrante, but the reverse is the case here. I can't wait for Maija Rhee Devine's book on Korea's comfort women of WW2 to be published, and I will certainly scout out her poetry.
'The Voices of Heaven' couldn't be more timely. Also, this novel is a wonderful study of literature. Its structural shifts and pacing, playful onomatopoeia and delicious descriptions of Korean foods (and some, I'd say, not so delicious!), as well as the visceral revelations of pain and parasites and problems of digestion were deftly handled. Devine plays with language beautifully -- blending the Korean and English with ease and joy. No wonder it won the Eric Hoffer Award, among others.
July 5, 2018
Living in Seoul, I was really excited about reading this book. I have seen a huge problem with the gender gap in the country, and I wanted some insight into it. This book gave me that insight that I sought. It showed me that the problem was not something that had happened recently, but was part of it cultural history. Women were asked to give birth to boys to carry on the traditions of the husband, and if they were unable to do so, men were allowed to take on a mistress so they could have a boy born unto them. There were even cases where if the woman had a girl that they would abandon it because it was not the boy that they were hoping for. A few women have broken through that barrier to show how women can contribute more to their society and Maija Rhee Devine's book highlights this push in her autobiographical novel. And even though I learned a lot about the culture I now find myself living in, I thought that the pacing of the book made it difficult to really enjoy this story. The first half of the book takes place over a couple of days, and goes into a little too much detail, sometimes going over things that have already been fully explained. The second half of the book covers five years, a lot of times skipping over details that I was hoping that would be filled in. Because of this flaw, I finished the book feeling like I didn't get the whole story. I did learn a lot which I appreciate, but I was hoping for a more entertaining read while I was gaining this information.
January 26, 2025
The Voices of Heaven presents a compelling autobiographical historical fiction story, shedding light on Korean culture and history, particularly the impacts of the Korean War and the challenges faced by women in a male-dominated world. The four main female characters each bear a unique and troubled experience, due to the tradition of a man marrying a second wife if the first cannot bear a son.
However, while the subject matter is engaging, the writing is not particularly well-crafted. The book suffers from an uneven structure; the first part delves deeply into the young second wife’s marriage to her husband, providing intricate details and depth. In contrast, subsequent sections quickly jump from one time period to another, and somehow the author never seems to bring the reader back inside the mind of the young 2nd wife.
Overall, I appreciated the cultural insights and historical context but found myself wishing for a more lyrical writing style and balanced structure.
However, while the subject matter is engaging, the writing is not particularly well-crafted. The book suffers from an uneven structure; the first part delves deeply into the young second wife’s marriage to her husband, providing intricate details and depth. In contrast, subsequent sections quickly jump from one time period to another, and somehow the author never seems to bring the reader back inside the mind of the young 2nd wife.
Overall, I appreciated the cultural insights and historical context but found myself wishing for a more lyrical writing style and balanced structure.
January 6, 2018
Absolutely one of the best books I've every read. Character development deserves an A+. With Korean War as a backdrop back this family is torn between tradition and the current world. How women survived during times of tradition, I don't know. Glad I didn't live during these times. The need to produce a son is ultimate in this society. And this is what drives a stake through a marriage of love between Gui-yong and Eum-chun. Gu-yong is forced to take a second wife. The author depicts 1950s Korea in a realistic way depicting a patriarchal society with many rifts. A very good read.
September 17, 2019
This book was my first introduction to Korean culture. The story opened my eyes into the world of family mores in Korea. It is a sad tale for everyone in the story. If you are interested in knowing more abut the customs in the world, The Korean war and the lives of women in other cultures, I think you will enjoy this read.
November 21, 2022
This book was... unexpected, to say the least. I was dreading it because I didn't want to read he depictions of war. But I wasn't ready for the depictions of... home-life, if you get that meaning.
Wouldn't recommend.
Wouldn't recommend.
June 12, 2017
I thought it jumped time periods too much. The historic part was somewhat interesting, but the story lacked development.
January 28, 2025
Historical fiction.
July 26, 2013
“The Voices of Heaven” is Maija Rhee Devine’s new historical fiction about one family’s life during the Korean War. The novel focuses around Gui-yong and Eum-chun’s decision to bring a mistress into their household, all in the hopes of finally adding a son and heir to their family. This decision ends up affecting not only their marriage, but also their daughter and their experiences and decisions for the rest of their lives.
Gui-yong loves his wife, something rarely found in a culture where grooms never saw their brides before their wedding day. Eum-chun, his wife, is heartbroken she cannot have children, and therefore cannot give the love of her life what their culture deems they must have, a son. This lack is felt most severely by Mi-Na, their secretly adopted daughter. Thinking she is biological, she blames herself for being female. Thus requiring the new mistress to enter the household and change their lives forever. “The Voices of Heaven” follows their joy, sorrow, trials, and tribulations through peace and war.
Devine’s character development was extraordinary. The reader delves into the emotions and thoughts of each character over the span of decades. The characters are easy for the reader to relate to and empathize with. The novel is written using a writing style that is different from most novels, giving it a singsong quality and using phrases and descriptors not commonly seen. To me, this added authenticity to the novel and the over-all feel.
I also thoroughly enjoyed the cultural details found in the book. It is hard to imagine in America a family purposely bringing a mistress into a household solely to have a son the wife will claim as her own. The idea of such sexism is mind-boggling.
Over all I really enjoyed “The Voices of Heaven.” The writing style probably isn’t for everyone, but for those who enjoy novels learning about other cultures this would be a great choice.
I received this book through Goodreads First Reads. This in no way influenced my review. I was not required to, nor compensated for, writing a review.
Gui-yong loves his wife, something rarely found in a culture where grooms never saw their brides before their wedding day. Eum-chun, his wife, is heartbroken she cannot have children, and therefore cannot give the love of her life what their culture deems they must have, a son. This lack is felt most severely by Mi-Na, their secretly adopted daughter. Thinking she is biological, she blames herself for being female. Thus requiring the new mistress to enter the household and change their lives forever. “The Voices of Heaven” follows their joy, sorrow, trials, and tribulations through peace and war.
Devine’s character development was extraordinary. The reader delves into the emotions and thoughts of each character over the span of decades. The characters are easy for the reader to relate to and empathize with. The novel is written using a writing style that is different from most novels, giving it a singsong quality and using phrases and descriptors not commonly seen. To me, this added authenticity to the novel and the over-all feel.
I also thoroughly enjoyed the cultural details found in the book. It is hard to imagine in America a family purposely bringing a mistress into a household solely to have a son the wife will claim as her own. The idea of such sexism is mind-boggling.
Over all I really enjoyed “The Voices of Heaven.” The writing style probably isn’t for everyone, but for those who enjoy novels learning about other cultures this would be a great choice.
I received this book through Goodreads First Reads. This in no way influenced my review. I was not required to, nor compensated for, writing a review.
February 1, 2014
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A story of tradition, families and sacrifice, The Voices of Heaven by Maija Rhee Devine, was unlike any book I have ever read.
Unable to produce a male heir, Eum-chun and her husband, Gui-yong, must welcome a "seed bearer" into their family in order to secure the continuation of their family through a son. Conflicted and hurt by this necessity, we learn through alternating narratives, the internal feelings of all three participants, including seed bearer, Soo-yang.
This was a unique book -- as I was totally unfamiliar with Korean culture. I was fascinated by their traditions, and how they lived their lives under Japanese occupation and through the Korean War.
That being said, I found the alternating narratives difficult to follow, if for no other reason than I had to spend a considerable amount of time trying to remember the names, and to whom they belonged. Also, and this is to no fault of the author --my expectation was a historical fiction look at the Korean War, not a family drama -- with a rather explicit look at their intimate relationships (a dildo made out of a dried eggplant? Who knew?). I guess producing an male heir required us knowing what went on in each pair's bedroom.
Ultimately, it was a book that didn't keep my interest. I would set it down and forget to pick it back up again, which required extensive re-reads to remember what happened.
A story of tradition, families and sacrifice, The Voices of Heaven by Maija Rhee Devine, was unlike any book I have ever read.
Unable to produce a male heir, Eum-chun and her husband, Gui-yong, must welcome a "seed bearer" into their family in order to secure the continuation of their family through a son. Conflicted and hurt by this necessity, we learn through alternating narratives, the internal feelings of all three participants, including seed bearer, Soo-yang.
This was a unique book -- as I was totally unfamiliar with Korean culture. I was fascinated by their traditions, and how they lived their lives under Japanese occupation and through the Korean War.
That being said, I found the alternating narratives difficult to follow, if for no other reason than I had to spend a considerable amount of time trying to remember the names, and to whom they belonged. Also, and this is to no fault of the author --my expectation was a historical fiction look at the Korean War, not a family drama -- with a rather explicit look at their intimate relationships (a dildo made out of a dried eggplant? Who knew?). I guess producing an male heir required us knowing what went on in each pair's bedroom.
Ultimately, it was a book that didn't keep my interest. I would set it down and forget to pick it back up again, which required extensive re-reads to remember what happened.
July 11, 2013
The Voices of Heaven by Maija Rhee Devine was a great book. It was beautifully written taking you directly into the minds and hearts of each of the characters, allowing you to really see and feel their roles and struggles within the story. Instead of having the usual good guy vs. bad guy scenario, you were enabled to simply appreciate the humanity of each person. (whether young or old) The story itself was quite moving, though so hard (emotionally), to read in several spots. It is one of those books that leaves you contemplating after the fact. I have even felt it necessary to discuss its effect with more than one friend, especially anyone familiar with Korea. I think this book is as important as a cultural work of art as it is a literary one. I enjoyed it. I think most anyone else would as well.
September 17, 2013
My colleague jiyoon Lee loaned me this book, saying she felt like it was more historically accurate or grounded than some of the pop-south Korean literature (one i had recently read). Voices of Heaven is a complex emotional story told from the well-developed perspectives of a first wife, second wife (because the fist wife did not bear a son), husband, and daughter. The strict gender traditions and expectations are overwhelming, as other other prejudices (including one against adoption). I was moved by each character (I'm so glad the husband, Gui-yong was not portrayed as a stereotype, but as a warm and conflicted and loyal husband). I was a little disappointed in the final section, but I'll leave that to other readers to experience and interpret for themselves.
August 14, 2013
This is a very compeling memoir of a Korean woman growing up during and post the Korean War. It has the sometimes stilted writing of a first time author who could have used a bit more editing, but it was easy to read and she tells the story well. It is amazing that in such recent times, such traditional and patriarchical ways were still the norm. The insights are important and illuminate Korean culture and history.
September 9, 2016
I won this book for our book group to read. It was interesting to learn about the South Korean Culture during the time period of the 50s. I didn't realize that families in such a recent time period would bring in another wife to bear a son if one wasn't produced by the first wife. It was interesting learning more about another culture. The story was nicely told through the delivery provided from each main character's perspective.
July 10, 2013
Its written that from the point of view mostly from Eum-chun(Mi-Na's mom), Mi-Na, Soo-yang(mistress). I like how shows the relationship between the wife and the mistress. Pretty easy to read. This book takes place during the Korean War, which I don't know much about. So it's interesting to read about that time period. It's written very well, and I want to find out what happens next.
July 5, 2013
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. I found the topic interesting, but did not love the writing style. Other books I have read in this genre have been more lyrical. The tone of this book was more coarse, but that may just be the culture. I don't regret reading it, but probably wouldn't recommend it to others. I did enjoy the parts of the book in Mi-na's point of view.
August 21, 2013
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. The Voices of Heaven is based on the marriage of Eum-chun and Gui-yong's decision to bring a mistress into the home when they fail to bare a son. I just couldn't connect to the characters and kept putting the book down.
June 28, 2013
I won this book free through goodreads first reads. I put three stars because I was not a fan of the topic and it was not a book I would read again. In all fairness to the author and others if you like the topic and find it interesting you may rate this higher.
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