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The Kinship Of Secrets
From the author of The Calligrapher’s Daughter comes the riveting story of two sisters, one raised in the United States, the other in South Korea, and the family that bound them together even as the Korean War kept them apart.
In 1948 Najin and Calvin Cho, with their young daughter Miran, travel from South Korea to the United States in search of new opportunities. Wary of the challenges they know will face them, Najin and Calvin make the difficult decision to leave their other daughter, Inja, behind with their extended family; soon, they hope, they will return to her.
But then war breaks out in Korea, and there is no end in sight to the separation. Miran grows up in prosperous American suburbia, under the shadow of the daughter left behind, as Inja grapples in her war-torn land with ties to a family she doesn’t remember. Najin and Calvin desperately seek a reunion with Inja, but are the bonds of love strong enough to reconnect their family over distance, time, and war? And as deep family secrets are revealed, will everything they long for be upended?
Told through the alternating perspectives of the distanced sisters, and inspired by a true story, The Kinship of Secrets? explores the cruelty of war, the power of hope, and what it means to be a sister.
In 1948 Najin and Calvin Cho, with their young daughter Miran, travel from South Korea to the United States in search of new opportunities. Wary of the challenges they know will face them, Najin and Calvin make the difficult decision to leave their other daughter, Inja, behind with their extended family; soon, they hope, they will return to her.
But then war breaks out in Korea, and there is no end in sight to the separation. Miran grows up in prosperous American suburbia, under the shadow of the daughter left behind, as Inja grapples in her war-torn land with ties to a family she doesn’t remember. Najin and Calvin desperately seek a reunion with Inja, but are the bonds of love strong enough to reconnect their family over distance, time, and war? And as deep family secrets are revealed, will everything they long for be upended?
Told through the alternating perspectives of the distanced sisters, and inspired by a true story, The Kinship of Secrets? explores the cruelty of war, the power of hope, and what it means to be a sister.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2018
331 people are currently reading
6165 people want to read
About the author
Eugenia Kim
2 books283 followersEugenia Kim is an MFA graduate of Bennington College, and teaches fiction in the low-residency MFA Creative Writing Program at Fairfield University. THE CALLIGRAPHER'S DAUGHTER is her first novel, and her second novel, THE KINSHIP OF SECRETS, will be published November 6, 2018..
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 373 reviews
November 11, 2018
I was drawn to read Eugenia Kim’s new book because it is a continuation of Najin’s story from The Calligrapher's Daughter, which is a beautifully written story depicting the Japanese occupation of Korea. It’s a story based on the author’s family as is The Kinship of Secrets. Writing of another time in Korea’s history during the Korean War, reflected through her family’s history makes this one so meaningful as well. This time the focus is on Najin’s two daughters with alternating narratives of the two sisters, Miran in America with their mother and father and Inja left in Korea with family. Miran had been sickly as a baby and it was decided to take her to America and then return for Inja. But the reunion of Inja with her family isn’t possible for many years as the war rages on and immigration limitations prevent travel for several years.
During the years that pass, we come to know the hardships of the war on Inja, her beautiful relationship with her uncle who cares for her as his own, her closeness with her grandparents and it is at times heartbreaking as she tries to understand why she was left behind. Miran feels a connection to her sister in Korea, but doesn’t always understand what is happening there. This is a picture of the Korean War and the strength and love of a family facing the consequences of that war. I don’t want to give more details, but will say that the title perfectly reflects the beauty of this novel, how secrets shared and also secrets kept illustrate the meaning of love. Kim’s love of her family, her respect for the tough decisions they made, her care to understand their history is what this novel is about. This is clear In her ending note, as well as this wonderful interview.
https://www.eugenia-kim.com/2018/06/0... ,
I received an advanced copy of this book from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt through Edelweiss.
December 29, 2018
4 stars to The Kinship of Secrets!
It’s 1948 when Najin and Calvin Cho travel from Korea to the United States with their daughter, Miran. They are seeking a better life, and they chose, sadly, to leave Inja, their other daughter, in Korea with family.
Unexpectedly, war begins in Korea, and Najin and Calvin worry they will never see Inja again.
Miran grows up in the United States, the land of opportunities, while her sister is living in the midst of war. Will their family ever be reunited?
Based on a true story, The Kinship of Secrets is a beautiful tale of family and sacrifice. The stark contrast between the early lives of the two young girls is vividly portrayed in the midst of a cruel war between the two countries where the sisters are living apart from each other.
We hear from each of the daughters as our narrators, and the writing flows easily. Eugenia Kim writes poignantly with a stunning exploration of the sister bond. Family secrets are unearthed, and there is much to think about for those living amid war’s atrocities and on its fringes. The author’s note is not to be missed.
Thank you to the publisher for the complimentary ARC. All opinions are my own.
My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com
It’s 1948 when Najin and Calvin Cho travel from Korea to the United States with their daughter, Miran. They are seeking a better life, and they chose, sadly, to leave Inja, their other daughter, in Korea with family.
Unexpectedly, war begins in Korea, and Najin and Calvin worry they will never see Inja again.
Miran grows up in the United States, the land of opportunities, while her sister is living in the midst of war. Will their family ever be reunited?
Based on a true story, The Kinship of Secrets is a beautiful tale of family and sacrifice. The stark contrast between the early lives of the two young girls is vividly portrayed in the midst of a cruel war between the two countries where the sisters are living apart from each other.
We hear from each of the daughters as our narrators, and the writing flows easily. Eugenia Kim writes poignantly with a stunning exploration of the sister bond. Family secrets are unearthed, and there is much to think about for those living amid war’s atrocities and on its fringes. The author’s note is not to be missed.
Thank you to the publisher for the complimentary ARC. All opinions are my own.
My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com
December 3, 2018
Absorbing the reality affected from ‘one decision’ that changed
the lives for each family member is ‘gut-felt’, ...vividly imagined.
In time that ‘decision’ will become more clear for two separated sisters - one raised in the U.S. - the other in South Korea - after some adjustment time of re-connecting at age 15.
Intimacy grows between them through years of loss - and deeper understanding.
Based on a true story...
we see what can really happen during migration when two countries are at war...
The Korea War - sadly doesn’t look much more frightening than current news today.
The writing is simplistic...‘mostly’ narrated through the children’s voices.
Not a long book - easy comfortable reading style -
Tender and one easily remembered.
the lives for each family member is ‘gut-felt’, ...vividly imagined.
In time that ‘decision’ will become more clear for two separated sisters - one raised in the U.S. - the other in South Korea - after some adjustment time of re-connecting at age 15.
Intimacy grows between them through years of loss - and deeper understanding.
Based on a true story...
we see what can really happen during migration when two countries are at war...
The Korea War - sadly doesn’t look much more frightening than current news today.
The writing is simplistic...‘mostly’ narrated through the children’s voices.
Not a long book - easy comfortable reading style -
Tender and one easily remembered.
November 27, 2018
The value of love comes to the surface on the waves of separation.
Eugenia Kim presents her heartheld story which unfolds in a small village in South Korea in 1948. The country is teeming with unrest and movement to safer zones prompts families to take on challenges never planned nor envisioned.
Najin and Calvin Cho must make a snap decision to leave their native country for America when their paperwork is finally approved. Calvin has been trained in church ministry and America will provide opportunities for the small family. With heavy hearts, they decide to bring the older daughter, Miran, with them and they leave their infant daughter, Inja, with Najin's family. Their hope is to return to South Korea and bring Inja to America after they are settled.
But fate has other plans for this family as it often does. War breaks out and Najin's extended family must gather only what they can carry and take to the mud-filled roads alongside thousands of other desperate souls. War is the great equalizer that spreads fear and hopelessness among the fortunate and the unfortunate. Bombs destroy and leave desolation from house to house regardless of the inhabitants. Tomorrow is promised to no one.
Young Miran grows up in the suburbans in America never touched directly by war. She accompanies her mother, Najin, to the post office at least once a week with packages and letters for the South Korean family. Najin wrings her hands in almost uncontrolled desperation waiting to hear if her family and little Inja are still alive. The reality of the situation grabs her forcefully that reunification may be impossible now.
The Kinship of Secrets reminds us of how futile our plans can be in life. What seems logical and doable in a tighten set of goals may not come to fruition when that scope widens. We will always be at the mercy of the actions and decisions made within that ever-changing current that surrounds us. The Earth tends to shift at times and we must constantly stabilize ourselves to bend and flow to a rhythm not necessarily of our own design.
Eugenia Kim has carved these characters with quite the adeptness. As readers, we feel the weight of the circumstances laid heavily upon them. We also see the purity of their intentions and the power of their stamina under such drastic situations. Kim does a fine job of switching the story setting from wartorn South Korea to the neighborhoods of America. She will slowly lift the curtain that has been shielding dark family secrets. And light falls upon those most affected by convoluted truths.
After reading The Kinship of Secrets, I'd like to check out Eugenia Kim's prior novel, The Calligrapher's Daughter. Her writing style is vivid in description and poignant in its telling. I believe that she is one author whose future offerings will certainly be looked forward to. Bravo, Ms. Kim.
Eugenia Kim presents her heartheld story which unfolds in a small village in South Korea in 1948. The country is teeming with unrest and movement to safer zones prompts families to take on challenges never planned nor envisioned.
Najin and Calvin Cho must make a snap decision to leave their native country for America when their paperwork is finally approved. Calvin has been trained in church ministry and America will provide opportunities for the small family. With heavy hearts, they decide to bring the older daughter, Miran, with them and they leave their infant daughter, Inja, with Najin's family. Their hope is to return to South Korea and bring Inja to America after they are settled.
But fate has other plans for this family as it often does. War breaks out and Najin's extended family must gather only what they can carry and take to the mud-filled roads alongside thousands of other desperate souls. War is the great equalizer that spreads fear and hopelessness among the fortunate and the unfortunate. Bombs destroy and leave desolation from house to house regardless of the inhabitants. Tomorrow is promised to no one.
Young Miran grows up in the suburbans in America never touched directly by war. She accompanies her mother, Najin, to the post office at least once a week with packages and letters for the South Korean family. Najin wrings her hands in almost uncontrolled desperation waiting to hear if her family and little Inja are still alive. The reality of the situation grabs her forcefully that reunification may be impossible now.
The Kinship of Secrets reminds us of how futile our plans can be in life. What seems logical and doable in a tighten set of goals may not come to fruition when that scope widens. We will always be at the mercy of the actions and decisions made within that ever-changing current that surrounds us. The Earth tends to shift at times and we must constantly stabilize ourselves to bend and flow to a rhythm not necessarily of our own design.
Eugenia Kim has carved these characters with quite the adeptness. As readers, we feel the weight of the circumstances laid heavily upon them. We also see the purity of their intentions and the power of their stamina under such drastic situations. Kim does a fine job of switching the story setting from wartorn South Korea to the neighborhoods of America. She will slowly lift the curtain that has been shielding dark family secrets. And light falls upon those most affected by convoluted truths.
After reading The Kinship of Secrets, I'd like to check out Eugenia Kim's prior novel, The Calligrapher's Daughter. Her writing style is vivid in description and poignant in its telling. I believe that she is one author whose future offerings will certainly be looked forward to. Bravo, Ms. Kim.
December 10, 2023
3.75 Stars
Eugenia Kim's The Kinship of Secrets is loosely based on her family's story. Here the Cho family, Calvin, Najin, and infant Miran come to the U.S., leaving toddler Inja with her maternal uncle and other family. What is supposed to be a 2 year separation is greatly extended by the North Korean invasion of South Korean and then U.S. immigration policies.
This tale is told from the perspectives of the two daughters in alternating chapters. I learn a bit about Korean history and find my self on the internet to find out more. The first third is a gripping depiction of the displaced people of South Korea trying to survive. The middle section is about the day to day life of the families during the intervening years. This section did a lot more telling than showing and was, for me, the least compelling part of the book. The last third is an emotionally fraught depiction of Inja's arrival in the U.S. at age 15 and their fragmented family trying to piece itself back together.
Kim explores a number of themes in this novel, the most intriguing one (for me, anyway) being the nature and value of secrets.
"She was aware of a strange kind of power one gained from holding secrets, and how confidences begat a kind of self-confidence--how the power of secrets required an inner strength and the maturity of discernment to keep them hidden. But she was also aware that Grandmother had instilled in her too much integrity with her own example of hiding hurtful secrets, that she would never abuse the power."
"They had come from a long line of holding back, suppressing hurtful truths to clear the passageway of old burdens."
There are all types of secrets. There are giggly, benign secrets exchanged with childhood girlfriends like who is your latest crush. There are keep me out of trouble secrets, like sneaking out to go to a dance when Dad said no. Then there are more substantive family secrets like a child born out of wedlock, a member of the family no longer spoken to or about because they have run afoul of the law or harmed others, or a sacrifice hidden so the unknowing recipient of the sacrifice is not burdened with guilt.
Secrets raise a lot of questions and concerns for me. Many are kept to protect a family member. Yet when is it right to withhold information from someone? Frequently secrets come out and there is great harm from the manner in which they are discovered. Would it have been better to have been told when the concerned party is of an age to understand? Something to consider as we move through our lives and with all of our relationships.
A second niggle, Kim's 4 and 5-year-olds are more articulate and capable than any I have ever known in real life, no matter their life circumstances. She redeems herself when she gets to the teen years; she really nails these thoughts and feelings. I especially appreciated the evolution of the relationship between the two sisters.
Overall this novel is a worthwhile read of family and belonging, the immigrant experience in America, and moving forward when you find yourself in circumstances over which you have no control.
Publication 2018
Eugenia Kim's The Kinship of Secrets is loosely based on her family's story. Here the Cho family, Calvin, Najin, and infant Miran come to the U.S., leaving toddler Inja with her maternal uncle and other family. What is supposed to be a 2 year separation is greatly extended by the North Korean invasion of South Korean and then U.S. immigration policies.
This tale is told from the perspectives of the two daughters in alternating chapters. I learn a bit about Korean history and find my self on the internet to find out more. The first third is a gripping depiction of the displaced people of South Korea trying to survive. The middle section is about the day to day life of the families during the intervening years. This section did a lot more telling than showing and was, for me, the least compelling part of the book. The last third is an emotionally fraught depiction of Inja's arrival in the U.S. at age 15 and their fragmented family trying to piece itself back together.
Kim explores a number of themes in this novel, the most intriguing one (for me, anyway) being the nature and value of secrets.
"She was aware of a strange kind of power one gained from holding secrets, and how confidences begat a kind of self-confidence--how the power of secrets required an inner strength and the maturity of discernment to keep them hidden. But she was also aware that Grandmother had instilled in her too much integrity with her own example of hiding hurtful secrets, that she would never abuse the power."
"They had come from a long line of holding back, suppressing hurtful truths to clear the passageway of old burdens."
There are all types of secrets. There are giggly, benign secrets exchanged with childhood girlfriends like who is your latest crush. There are keep me out of trouble secrets, like sneaking out to go to a dance when Dad said no. Then there are more substantive family secrets like a child born out of wedlock, a member of the family no longer spoken to or about because they have run afoul of the law or harmed others, or a sacrifice hidden so the unknowing recipient of the sacrifice is not burdened with guilt.
Secrets raise a lot of questions and concerns for me. Many are kept to protect a family member. Yet when is it right to withhold information from someone? Frequently secrets come out and there is great harm from the manner in which they are discovered. Would it have been better to have been told when the concerned party is of an age to understand? Something to consider as we move through our lives and with all of our relationships.
A second niggle, Kim's 4 and 5-year-olds are more articulate and capable than any I have ever known in real life, no matter their life circumstances. She redeems herself when she gets to the teen years; she really nails these thoughts and feelings. I especially appreciated the evolution of the relationship between the two sisters.
Overall this novel is a worthwhile read of family and belonging, the immigrant experience in America, and moving forward when you find yourself in circumstances over which you have no control.
Publication 2018
December 3, 2018
Tl;dr: The Kinship of Secrets is a compelling, interesting book that really sheds light on an important period in Korean history.
I wanted to read this after a great review for it popped up on my feed--and I'm glad I did!
The Kinship of Secrets is straightforward but very emotional. In 1948, right before the beginning of the Korean War, Najin and Calvin leave Korea for America. The cost of traveling is expensive and to show their love for Najin's family, and to prove their commitment to returning, they travel with their younger daughter, Miran, while leaving their older daughter, Inja, with the family.
Najin and Calvin settle in the suburbs of Washington D. C. and Calvin starts working with Voice of America, Najin starts making kimichi to sell to local businesses and watchrs Miran until she starts school, and then she works fulltime as well. Im addition, both Najin and Calvin are extremely active in their local church. They save as much as they can to bring Inja to America, but the cost is high--and then the Korean War begins.
I'd studied the Korean War in school, and I am ashamed to admit that it was taught as a short, straightforward war, a small conflict that occurred during the rise of the Iron Curtain snd prior to the more complicated war in Vietnam.
Well, my teachers were certainly wrong! Though I knew the choice that led to North and South Korea separated families and caused enormous political and social changes in both countries, I never was told (or thought much about--and I should have!) about the way the war created an enormous refugee problem that led not just to extremely difficult living circumstances for many Koreans, but led many Koreans who had left after World War II and who had intended to return/bring family over to them unable to do so.
As a result of the war, Najin and Calvin are forced to wait--and wait-- to bring Inja over. She ends up spending the first fifteen years of her life living with her grandparents and aunt snd uncle, her parents abstract objects who send packages of goods from America that the family immediately sells for money.
Inja and her family are forced to flee Seoul during the war and live as refugees until they are able to return, with food and shelter in short supply and confusion about who is winning the war and which side is safest rampant.
Inja's childhood is quite grim, but she loves her grandparents and adores her uncle, and although readers know that her parents are continually working to bring her to America, and long for her to be with them, Inja gradually starts to see her parents as something so remote she can't even understand the idea of actually seeing them in person.
In contrast to Inja, Miran grows up in thr bustle and boom of post WWII America, with a comfortable home, and no worries about where her next meal will come from, etc. Interestingly, Miran is hyperaware of her sister. In addition to having to help prepare packages to send to Korea (and act as translator at the post office, as although Miran's Korean is not great, English is her first and best language), her parents are constantly talking about Inja and what will happen when she joins them, with Najin becoming increasingly despondent as the years roll by.
Thus Inja, although living in a more precarious situation, feels relatively happy because she is devoted to her uncle, who in turn adores her. She is also frequently told family stories that help her realize that family separation (and great sorrow) are all too common, and her separation from her parents fades to an abstract concept.
Miran, on the othet hand, grows up acutely concious of the family situation and also feels like an outsider, all too aware of the differences between her family's lifestyle and those of her classmates. She wants more than anything to be like everyone else even as she knows it can't happen and is barraged with her mother's constant reminders that as soon as Inja joins them, the family will be complete. This feeling--of being an outsider, and of being part of a family that's defined by who they are without-- defines Miran's first fifteen years and herself.
By the time the conditions are right for Inja to finally travel to America, she doesn't want to go. She can't picture herself there, can't picture her parents or sister, and wants to stay with the family and life she knows. Her terror, confusion, and feelings of overwhelming despair when she leaves Korea and over the first few months in America are very well done. Inja's bewilderment with (and anger at) her parents (particularly her mother) leaves her feeling lost and alone but she consoles herself with a plan to one day return to Korea and her family there.
Meanwhile, Miran, who is finally reunited with the sister her parents' lives have revolved around, is happy to have her there, although she still feels like an outsider and wrestles with how confident Inja seems to be, as well as how much praise she earns for everything she does from what seems (to Miran) like everyone.
The story continues through both Miran and Inja finishing high school, attending college, and eventually living together in New York while Inja continues to plan her return visit to her family in Korea.
She's finally able to go and persuades Miran to come with her. Once she is back in Korea, she discovers that although it is still and will always be part of her, both she and Korea are different--but that no matter what, she will always define herself as Korean.
Miran, who still sees and defines herself as an outsider, likes Korea, but can't see herself as being from Korea, or even as being Korean. However, Miran has, to a large extent, accepted and embraced her feeling of being different, becoming active in political and social movements in 1970s America.
Overall, The Kinship of Secrets is a good read. Miran, Inja, and Najin are all interesting and compelling characters and while all three suffer the consequences of the family separation, Najin's grief for her "missing" daughter and Inja's despair when she realizes she has to leave Korea and fury when she arrives, not just over the new culture she isn't that interested in (at first), but at the parents who insist on love and respect even though she doesn't know them and wants to be with the family she does know and love, in particular, are pretty moving and definitely well written.
Having said that, those looking for a family saga will be disappointed, as although plenty of space is devoted to Inja and Miran's lives prior to being reunited, once they are, the pace picks up considerably. I liked this--adolescence and early adulthood might go by slow to you while it's happening, but later it seems like loads of major things happened in so, so short a time--but I don't think the pace change from very languid to hyper accelerated is going to be for everyone.
I thought the ever growing and ever more bleak reveals for why Najin and Calvin chose to take Miran to America instead of Inja were unnecessary and eventually way, way over the top. It's as if Ms. Kim didn't trust that readers would accept the basic premise of the novel and decided, as she wrote, to keeping adding reasons why Miran had to/needed to not only be taken to America but to always see and feel different. It wasn't neccessary and really dragged the book down, especially toward the end.
I wanted to read this after a great review for it popped up on my feed--and I'm glad I did!
The Kinship of Secrets is straightforward but very emotional. In 1948, right before the beginning of the Korean War, Najin and Calvin leave Korea for America. The cost of traveling is expensive and to show their love for Najin's family, and to prove their commitment to returning, they travel with their younger daughter, Miran, while leaving their older daughter, Inja, with the family.
Najin and Calvin settle in the suburbs of Washington D. C. and Calvin starts working with Voice of America, Najin starts making kimichi to sell to local businesses and watchrs Miran until she starts school, and then she works fulltime as well. Im addition, both Najin and Calvin are extremely active in their local church. They save as much as they can to bring Inja to America, but the cost is high--and then the Korean War begins.
I'd studied the Korean War in school, and I am ashamed to admit that it was taught as a short, straightforward war, a small conflict that occurred during the rise of the Iron Curtain snd prior to the more complicated war in Vietnam.
Well, my teachers were certainly wrong! Though I knew the choice that led to North and South Korea separated families and caused enormous political and social changes in both countries, I never was told (or thought much about--and I should have!) about the way the war created an enormous refugee problem that led not just to extremely difficult living circumstances for many Koreans, but led many Koreans who had left after World War II and who had intended to return/bring family over to them unable to do so.
As a result of the war, Najin and Calvin are forced to wait--and wait-- to bring Inja over. She ends up spending the first fifteen years of her life living with her grandparents and aunt snd uncle, her parents abstract objects who send packages of goods from America that the family immediately sells for money.
Inja and her family are forced to flee Seoul during the war and live as refugees until they are able to return, with food and shelter in short supply and confusion about who is winning the war and which side is safest rampant.
Inja's childhood is quite grim, but she loves her grandparents and adores her uncle, and although readers know that her parents are continually working to bring her to America, and long for her to be with them, Inja gradually starts to see her parents as something so remote she can't even understand the idea of actually seeing them in person.
In contrast to Inja, Miran grows up in thr bustle and boom of post WWII America, with a comfortable home, and no worries about where her next meal will come from, etc. Interestingly, Miran is hyperaware of her sister. In addition to having to help prepare packages to send to Korea (and act as translator at the post office, as although Miran's Korean is not great, English is her first and best language), her parents are constantly talking about Inja and what will happen when she joins them, with Najin becoming increasingly despondent as the years roll by.
Thus Inja, although living in a more precarious situation, feels relatively happy because she is devoted to her uncle, who in turn adores her. She is also frequently told family stories that help her realize that family separation (and great sorrow) are all too common, and her separation from her parents fades to an abstract concept.
Miran, on the othet hand, grows up acutely concious of the family situation and also feels like an outsider, all too aware of the differences between her family's lifestyle and those of her classmates. She wants more than anything to be like everyone else even as she knows it can't happen and is barraged with her mother's constant reminders that as soon as Inja joins them, the family will be complete. This feeling--of being an outsider, and of being part of a family that's defined by who they are without-- defines Miran's first fifteen years and herself.
By the time the conditions are right for Inja to finally travel to America, she doesn't want to go. She can't picture herself there, can't picture her parents or sister, and wants to stay with the family and life she knows. Her terror, confusion, and feelings of overwhelming despair when she leaves Korea and over the first few months in America are very well done. Inja's bewilderment with (and anger at) her parents (particularly her mother) leaves her feeling lost and alone but she consoles herself with a plan to one day return to Korea and her family there.
Meanwhile, Miran, who is finally reunited with the sister her parents' lives have revolved around, is happy to have her there, although she still feels like an outsider and wrestles with how confident Inja seems to be, as well as how much praise she earns for everything she does from what seems (to Miran) like everyone.
The story continues through both Miran and Inja finishing high school, attending college, and eventually living together in New York while Inja continues to plan her return visit to her family in Korea.
She's finally able to go and persuades Miran to come with her. Once she is back in Korea, she discovers that although it is still and will always be part of her, both she and Korea are different--but that no matter what, she will always define herself as Korean.
Miran, who still sees and defines herself as an outsider, likes Korea, but can't see herself as being from Korea, or even as being Korean. However, Miran has, to a large extent, accepted and embraced her feeling of being different, becoming active in political and social movements in 1970s America.
Overall, The Kinship of Secrets is a good read. Miran, Inja, and Najin are all interesting and compelling characters and while all three suffer the consequences of the family separation, Najin's grief for her "missing" daughter and Inja's despair when she realizes she has to leave Korea and fury when she arrives, not just over the new culture she isn't that interested in (at first), but at the parents who insist on love and respect even though she doesn't know them and wants to be with the family she does know and love, in particular, are pretty moving and definitely well written.
Having said that, those looking for a family saga will be disappointed, as although plenty of space is devoted to Inja and Miran's lives prior to being reunited, once they are, the pace picks up considerably. I liked this--adolescence and early adulthood might go by slow to you while it's happening, but later it seems like loads of major things happened in so, so short a time--but I don't think the pace change from very languid to hyper accelerated is going to be for everyone.
I thought the ever growing and ever more bleak reveals for why Najin and Calvin chose to take Miran to America instead of Inja were unnecessary and eventually way, way over the top. It's as if Ms. Kim didn't trust that readers would accept the basic premise of the novel and decided, as she wrote, to keeping adding reasons why Miran had to/needed to not only be taken to America but to always see and feel different. It wasn't neccessary and really dragged the book down, especially toward the end.
March 29, 2020
I've been reading a lot of Korean works lately and they're reacquainting me to the idea of Korean "han". Go back a mere generation and see how Korean lives are influenced by the Japanese occupation, the Korean War, families split apart and the very real possibility of imprisonment and/or death. Han is the feeling of sorrow, injustice and anger that informs the Korean people but still has room for fierce hope.
It's 1948 and the Cho's arrive in the United States with their daughter Miran. They have left their sickly child Inja behind with an uncle and grandparents with the promise to fetch her as soon as they settle into their new home. But then war breaks out, Inja flees to Busan and the Cho's reunion with their daughter extends across years.
Chapters switch back and forth between Inja in South Korea while Miran struggles to find her place in an adopted homeland. I recognized Miran's mother's collections of colloquialisms. My father also kept a ledger of idioms, endlessly fascinated by these turns of phrases that otherwise made no sense like "kick the bucket" or "over the moon".
The family is eventually reunited after over a decade apart and the reunion is not quite so simple. Inja has made a life for herself in Korea and mourns the loss of her friends and extended family. Miran has to contend with her sibling that is still a stranger to her.
A lovely read but more importantly I'm appreciating how many Korean works in translation are hitting North American shelves and am relishing collecting stories of my Korean culture.
It's 1948 and the Cho's arrive in the United States with their daughter Miran. They have left their sickly child Inja behind with an uncle and grandparents with the promise to fetch her as soon as they settle into their new home. But then war breaks out, Inja flees to Busan and the Cho's reunion with their daughter extends across years.
Chapters switch back and forth between Inja in South Korea while Miran struggles to find her place in an adopted homeland. I recognized Miran's mother's collections of colloquialisms. My father also kept a ledger of idioms, endlessly fascinated by these turns of phrases that otherwise made no sense like "kick the bucket" or "over the moon".
The family is eventually reunited after over a decade apart and the reunion is not quite so simple. Inja has made a life for herself in Korea and mourns the loss of her friends and extended family. Miran has to contend with her sibling that is still a stranger to her.
A lovely read but more importantly I'm appreciating how many Korean works in translation are hitting North American shelves and am relishing collecting stories of my Korean culture.
November 28, 2018
Totally going out of my normal reads, when offered the opportunity to read this book, I just couldn't say no. I don't read historical fiction very often but this one that deals with my Korean culture stood out and I'm so glad that I picked this up.
I'll say again how important it is to read the author's note at the end. I was fascinated to find that the story for this novel derives from the author's family life, especially her sister's, which made the story so much more impactful for me. As a half-Korean woman, I have heard stories and have learned a lot about my culture. I couldn't imagine being split up from a sister so long that she is just a stranger to me, and then having a reunion with her and the intricacies of how that relationship ebbs and flows. This reminded me (very) slightly of me and my cousin. We're both only children but grew up together in the same household for years. My dad sponsored my aunt, uncle and cousin to the US and she is older but had very limited English. It was definitely something to get used to - having someone you now have to share a room with, be compared to... teach and yet still learn from.
As I was reading, I found myself wondering how someone who doesn't know the English language would read the Korean words - even though they're written in "English", the pronunciation would be different for those who know, have heard or have never learned. I heard them loud and clear in my various family members' voices during my read.
Overall I really liked this book and it really spoke to me. The characters, especially the sisters, are given to us in detail and you really get a sense of what these girls (and their families) are going through. For me personally, I may have needed a little more *something* for this to really resonate and shine. However, I think that just stems from my typically not enjoying this genre because of too much of a history lesson over a story line.
Anyone who wants a heartfelt story of two Korean girls split up between Korea and the US and their individual plights will surely adore this novel.
3.5 stars - rounded to 4 for goodreads.
Thank you to HMH for this copy.
I'll say again how important it is to read the author's note at the end. I was fascinated to find that the story for this novel derives from the author's family life, especially her sister's, which made the story so much more impactful for me. As a half-Korean woman, I have heard stories and have learned a lot about my culture. I couldn't imagine being split up from a sister so long that she is just a stranger to me, and then having a reunion with her and the intricacies of how that relationship ebbs and flows. This reminded me (very) slightly of me and my cousin. We're both only children but grew up together in the same household for years. My dad sponsored my aunt, uncle and cousin to the US and she is older but had very limited English. It was definitely something to get used to - having someone you now have to share a room with, be compared to... teach and yet still learn from.
As I was reading, I found myself wondering how someone who doesn't know the English language would read the Korean words - even though they're written in "English", the pronunciation would be different for those who know, have heard or have never learned. I heard them loud and clear in my various family members' voices during my read.
Overall I really liked this book and it really spoke to me. The characters, especially the sisters, are given to us in detail and you really get a sense of what these girls (and their families) are going through. For me personally, I may have needed a little more *something* for this to really resonate and shine. However, I think that just stems from my typically not enjoying this genre because of too much of a history lesson over a story line.
Anyone who wants a heartfelt story of two Korean girls split up between Korea and the US and their individual plights will surely adore this novel.
3.5 stars - rounded to 4 for goodreads.
Thank you to HMH for this copy.
May 20, 2018
The Kinship of Secrets
Thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley for an early review copy of The Kinship of Secrets by Eugenia Kim, which will publish November 6, 2018. All thoughts are my own.
Writing: 4 Plot: 4.5 Characters: 5
An utterly engaging story that follows two sisters as they grow up separately due to the Korean War. When Najin and Calvin leave Korea for America, they bring with them the older sister — Miran — but leave baby Inja behind with her uncle and grandparents. What was originally meant to be a 1-2 year absence becomes a 16 year separation as first war and then U.S. immigration policies serve as barriers to reunion. When Inja is finally reunited with her “real” family, she is understandably bereft at being torn from her “real” home and family in Korea.
Well-written and full of fascinating, well-researched details of life in both locations as seen through the eyes of a young girl growing up. The time frame spans 1950 through 1973. Inja’s life in Korea goes through the terribly difficult war years, the armistice, and reconstruction before she leaves for America. Ten years later she returns and sees yet another Korea - one that is modernizing under the leadership of Park Chung-hee. The focus on individuality and independence in America is contrasted with a more communal priority in Korea. For Inja, “The comfort of being home, her Korean home, came from fulfilling the drive to belong. But this drive also heightened the pain of division when a single small thing marked one as different, such as Inja having a mother but not having a mother; for Uncle, having her as a daughter who was not his daughter; for Miran being Korean yet not being Korean.”
The role of secrets and the truth in love and family cohesion is a theme throughout the book. A number of painful secrets are kept in order to avoid bringing others pain. Inja has learned and internalized this behavior and reflects on its value: Secrecy is “a way to live in the accumulation of a difficult family history, a way that was a profound expression of love.” When Inja thinks of the many secrets she keeps, she thinks: “These were all precedents that venerated keeping secrets from her mother as being rituals of love.”
This book is genuine and full of insights. It’s a great opportunity to learn history through the eyes of people who have lived it and culture through the eyes of people who embody it. The story appears to be loosely based on aspects of the author’s family which is probably responsible for the natural and honest feel of the prose. While full of feeling, the book is not overly dramatic which I appreciate. For those who enjoyed Pachinko, I found this to be a complementary narrative that further fleshes out Korean culture and history. A great read.
Thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley for an early review copy of The Kinship of Secrets by Eugenia Kim, which will publish November 6, 2018. All thoughts are my own.
Writing: 4 Plot: 4.5 Characters: 5
An utterly engaging story that follows two sisters as they grow up separately due to the Korean War. When Najin and Calvin leave Korea for America, they bring with them the older sister — Miran — but leave baby Inja behind with her uncle and grandparents. What was originally meant to be a 1-2 year absence becomes a 16 year separation as first war and then U.S. immigration policies serve as barriers to reunion. When Inja is finally reunited with her “real” family, she is understandably bereft at being torn from her “real” home and family in Korea.
Well-written and full of fascinating, well-researched details of life in both locations as seen through the eyes of a young girl growing up. The time frame spans 1950 through 1973. Inja’s life in Korea goes through the terribly difficult war years, the armistice, and reconstruction before she leaves for America. Ten years later she returns and sees yet another Korea - one that is modernizing under the leadership of Park Chung-hee. The focus on individuality and independence in America is contrasted with a more communal priority in Korea. For Inja, “The comfort of being home, her Korean home, came from fulfilling the drive to belong. But this drive also heightened the pain of division when a single small thing marked one as different, such as Inja having a mother but not having a mother; for Uncle, having her as a daughter who was not his daughter; for Miran being Korean yet not being Korean.”
The role of secrets and the truth in love and family cohesion is a theme throughout the book. A number of painful secrets are kept in order to avoid bringing others pain. Inja has learned and internalized this behavior and reflects on its value: Secrecy is “a way to live in the accumulation of a difficult family history, a way that was a profound expression of love.” When Inja thinks of the many secrets she keeps, she thinks: “These were all precedents that venerated keeping secrets from her mother as being rituals of love.”
This book is genuine and full of insights. It’s a great opportunity to learn history through the eyes of people who have lived it and culture through the eyes of people who embody it. The story appears to be loosely based on aspects of the author’s family which is probably responsible for the natural and honest feel of the prose. While full of feeling, the book is not overly dramatic which I appreciate. For those who enjoyed Pachinko, I found this to be a complementary narrative that further fleshes out Korean culture and history. A great read.
October 27, 2018
Loved this book - an emotional, based on true life story of a remarkable bond between separated & reunited sisters. Unforgettable. Highly recommend.
October 30, 2018
‘This novel is a fiction derived from the facts of my family’s life, and especially my sister’s life, during and after the Korean War, the fifth deadliest war in human history, also known as “the forgotten war”.’ – Author notes.
This novel has impressed me so much more than I could have ever anticipated. It’s a delicate balance of clear expression and deeply moving prose, a story that is quite honestly, unforgettable. And the fact that it is based for the most part on the author’s own family, makes it even more impacting. Some might wonder why, with so much truth embedded into the narrative, the author didn’t write this story as a memoir. Personally, I feel that fiction offers more creative power to most stories, provided you can strike the right balance between truth and narrative, which Eugenia Kim does with a deft hand.
‘Forgive me, Lord, if in the darkest places hidden deep in my heart – hidden even from my own sincerity – there should reside the thought that I have brought the wrong daughter to America.’
The Kinship of Secrets tells the story of two sisters growing up apart. One with her parents in America, the other in South Korea with her extended family made up of her uncle, aunt, and grandparents. The story begins at the outbreak of the Korean War, when the girls are aged three and four years old, and spans through until they are in their mid-twenties. It seems at first unbelievable that a couple would migrate to another country and only take one daughter. As a mother myself, I found this intensely unsettling. Yet, I was unable to reproach Najin, because her loss and sacrifice was so profound. Times were so different, it was no simple matter of hopping on an aeroplane and travelling in comfort like we do today. As reprehensible as it seemed to leave one child behind, I could understand it intimately, and as more information surrounding the decision and what influenced the choosing of one child over the other came to light, the more I understood, and the more my heart cracked open for Najin.
‘Her mind swirled with questions and something dark she didn’t like feeling. Always it was the war. This war, the war before, the one before that. It seemed everyone used it as an excuse for all ills. And perhaps it was.’
I’ve never read a novel about the Korean War before, so I really appreciated gaining such insight into the politics and the conflict, both during the war and in the unsettled years that followed. I draw back to Eugenia Kim’s effortless writing style, so clear and precise, yet never overloading with facts or politics. I felt like I was fully informed, yet never weighted down. By facts, at least. My emotions were another story! There were so many moments, of horror, of simple joy, of human connection, that impacted me greatly.
‘Would she even like her? Something about that thought felt wrong, as if having a sister meant they’d automatically like – and even love – each other. But what if they didn’t?’
The separation of these sisters is the driving force behind this story as we are eternally moving towards a time when they might meet, when Inja might finally be reunited with the family she has no memory of. The difficulties attached to this were explored fully, most notably the emotional side of it. Inja’s uncle was such a incredibly wonderful man, he was truly inspirational in the way he loved Inja and brought her up on his sister’s behalf with such care. But this of course made it all the more harder for Inja to contemplate ever leaving Korea. She loved Korea: her friends, her school, her family. Everything in America was unknown, most particularly, her sister Miran who spoke no Korean, just as Inja spoke no English. These sisters were not only separated by distance, but by culture. It was quite heartbreaking.
‘She was aware of a strange kind of power one gained from holding secrets, and how confidences begat a kind of self-confidence – how the power of secrets required an inner strength and the maturity of discernment to keep them hidden.’
Inja was a favourite of mine but I did really feel for Miran, a Korean girl who was not Korean, if that makes any sense. She was American, but growing up in the era of the Cold War, shadowed by a mythical sister who had been left behind in Korea, who her mother clearly pined for. Inja was a big part of her life, for fifteen years parcels were sent, she shared so many of her things with Inja, without having ever met her. Their language barrier meant they were unable to even exchange letters. The adjustment period for the sisters when they at last lived together was fraught at times, but lined with sincerity. I loved how they made their way with each other, connected by a fragile thread in the web that made up their family history. This is a novel about strong women, about hardship and sacrifice, about love and honour. It’s about finding yourself when you are lost within circumstances not of your own making. The title is particularly profound, especially with regards to Inga, who became quite the secret keeper within the family. So many themes of culture and family are explored alongside the consequences of war. The Kinship of Secrets is a remarkable novel, magnificent in its execution and profoundly beautiful in its narration. This is one I highly recommend.
‘Her mother and grandmother had risen like dragons from the sea floor of a centuries-old, neo-Confucian culture of female oppression. She had been given a tremendous gift of two unique women whose lives – whose Korean lives – had already exemplified for her what she could learn from the burgeoning American feminist crusade.’
Thanks is extended to Bloomsbury Publishing via Netgalley for providing me with a copy of The Kinship of Secrets for review.
This novel has impressed me so much more than I could have ever anticipated. It’s a delicate balance of clear expression and deeply moving prose, a story that is quite honestly, unforgettable. And the fact that it is based for the most part on the author’s own family, makes it even more impacting. Some might wonder why, with so much truth embedded into the narrative, the author didn’t write this story as a memoir. Personally, I feel that fiction offers more creative power to most stories, provided you can strike the right balance between truth and narrative, which Eugenia Kim does with a deft hand.
‘Forgive me, Lord, if in the darkest places hidden deep in my heart – hidden even from my own sincerity – there should reside the thought that I have brought the wrong daughter to America.’
The Kinship of Secrets tells the story of two sisters growing up apart. One with her parents in America, the other in South Korea with her extended family made up of her uncle, aunt, and grandparents. The story begins at the outbreak of the Korean War, when the girls are aged three and four years old, and spans through until they are in their mid-twenties. It seems at first unbelievable that a couple would migrate to another country and only take one daughter. As a mother myself, I found this intensely unsettling. Yet, I was unable to reproach Najin, because her loss and sacrifice was so profound. Times were so different, it was no simple matter of hopping on an aeroplane and travelling in comfort like we do today. As reprehensible as it seemed to leave one child behind, I could understand it intimately, and as more information surrounding the decision and what influenced the choosing of one child over the other came to light, the more I understood, and the more my heart cracked open for Najin.
‘Her mind swirled with questions and something dark she didn’t like feeling. Always it was the war. This war, the war before, the one before that. It seemed everyone used it as an excuse for all ills. And perhaps it was.’
I’ve never read a novel about the Korean War before, so I really appreciated gaining such insight into the politics and the conflict, both during the war and in the unsettled years that followed. I draw back to Eugenia Kim’s effortless writing style, so clear and precise, yet never overloading with facts or politics. I felt like I was fully informed, yet never weighted down. By facts, at least. My emotions were another story! There were so many moments, of horror, of simple joy, of human connection, that impacted me greatly.
‘Would she even like her? Something about that thought felt wrong, as if having a sister meant they’d automatically like – and even love – each other. But what if they didn’t?’
The separation of these sisters is the driving force behind this story as we are eternally moving towards a time when they might meet, when Inja might finally be reunited with the family she has no memory of. The difficulties attached to this were explored fully, most notably the emotional side of it. Inja’s uncle was such a incredibly wonderful man, he was truly inspirational in the way he loved Inja and brought her up on his sister’s behalf with such care. But this of course made it all the more harder for Inja to contemplate ever leaving Korea. She loved Korea: her friends, her school, her family. Everything in America was unknown, most particularly, her sister Miran who spoke no Korean, just as Inja spoke no English. These sisters were not only separated by distance, but by culture. It was quite heartbreaking.
‘She was aware of a strange kind of power one gained from holding secrets, and how confidences begat a kind of self-confidence – how the power of secrets required an inner strength and the maturity of discernment to keep them hidden.’
Inja was a favourite of mine but I did really feel for Miran, a Korean girl who was not Korean, if that makes any sense. She was American, but growing up in the era of the Cold War, shadowed by a mythical sister who had been left behind in Korea, who her mother clearly pined for. Inja was a big part of her life, for fifteen years parcels were sent, she shared so many of her things with Inja, without having ever met her. Their language barrier meant they were unable to even exchange letters. The adjustment period for the sisters when they at last lived together was fraught at times, but lined with sincerity. I loved how they made their way with each other, connected by a fragile thread in the web that made up their family history. This is a novel about strong women, about hardship and sacrifice, about love and honour. It’s about finding yourself when you are lost within circumstances not of your own making. The title is particularly profound, especially with regards to Inga, who became quite the secret keeper within the family. So many themes of culture and family are explored alongside the consequences of war. The Kinship of Secrets is a remarkable novel, magnificent in its execution and profoundly beautiful in its narration. This is one I highly recommend.
‘Her mother and grandmother had risen like dragons from the sea floor of a centuries-old, neo-Confucian culture of female oppression. She had been given a tremendous gift of two unique women whose lives – whose Korean lives – had already exemplified for her what she could learn from the burgeoning American feminist crusade.’
Thanks is extended to Bloomsbury Publishing via Netgalley for providing me with a copy of The Kinship of Secrets for review.
March 1, 2019
What can I say about this book? I’ll start with a redeeming quality: it has potential. It’s a good concept, based on the author’s life. It parallels between two sisters growing up in two very different countries. Could be beautiful.
But alas, there was so much wrong with this book. Let me start with the most annoying part for me: their finances. The parents planned to be away in America for two years, and then either go back to Korea to live there, or bring their other daughter to America (unclear to me which one). However, they don’t have the funds to do so. Yet they managed to afford to ship WEEKLY care packages to their family back home, one care package even contained $50 for them (I looked this up - that’s about the equivalent of $500 now, considering this was about 1950). How can they not afford this? They should learn a thing or two but their budget savvy American daughter (who they so neglect btw because they never even teach her Korean) who manages to buy a $70 record player despite earning $1 a week from her job. They also buy a new car and refurnish a bedroom...
They do later say there’s a lot of red tape to go through to bring her to America, and they cannot easily go back to Korea because they could be labeled as spies. But they don’t give this excuse until much much later than the two years so they could have done something.
Spoiler: they finally get the other daughter. They rip her away from her perfectly happy life at age 16 when she has an almost boyfriend, a great best friend, and her uncle who is more of a father to her than the real dad is to the American daughter. Not cool. And the parents never realize how awful they are for doing this.
I know this is a different time, and a different culture than my own. One that respects their parents way more than today. However, what 18 year old has ever had a fight with her mother and leaves the argument with a newfound respect and love for her mother? This is the second thing I disliked about the book: the voice of the narrative is too mature for these girls. The book starts off with them about 3 years old, and their “voice” is just as mature as when the book finishes at 26. They never grow or evolve, they’re always very old sounding for their age. Yet I know it’s not told as them looking back over their life, because they forget important events that happen to them when they’re young, as one does. So the timeline follows them and they just always sound like some 50 year old in the head of a child...
in conclusion, I would not recommend this book. It is so good concept wise, but needs major revision.
But alas, there was so much wrong with this book. Let me start with the most annoying part for me: their finances. The parents planned to be away in America for two years, and then either go back to Korea to live there, or bring their other daughter to America (unclear to me which one). However, they don’t have the funds to do so. Yet they managed to afford to ship WEEKLY care packages to their family back home, one care package even contained $50 for them (I looked this up - that’s about the equivalent of $500 now, considering this was about 1950). How can they not afford this? They should learn a thing or two but their budget savvy American daughter (who they so neglect btw because they never even teach her Korean) who manages to buy a $70 record player despite earning $1 a week from her job. They also buy a new car and refurnish a bedroom...
They do later say there’s a lot of red tape to go through to bring her to America, and they cannot easily go back to Korea because they could be labeled as spies. But they don’t give this excuse until much much later than the two years so they could have done something.
Spoiler: they finally get the other daughter. They rip her away from her perfectly happy life at age 16 when she has an almost boyfriend, a great best friend, and her uncle who is more of a father to her than the real dad is to the American daughter. Not cool. And the parents never realize how awful they are for doing this.
I know this is a different time, and a different culture than my own. One that respects their parents way more than today. However, what 18 year old has ever had a fight with her mother and leaves the argument with a newfound respect and love for her mother? This is the second thing I disliked about the book: the voice of the narrative is too mature for these girls. The book starts off with them about 3 years old, and their “voice” is just as mature as when the book finishes at 26. They never grow or evolve, they’re always very old sounding for their age. Yet I know it’s not told as them looking back over their life, because they forget important events that happen to them when they’re young, as one does. So the timeline follows them and they just always sound like some 50 year old in the head of a child...
in conclusion, I would not recommend this book. It is so good concept wise, but needs major revision.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 3, 2019
I finished this novel because it gave me a greater understanding of Korea during the Korean war and afterward. That is the one sort-of-redeeming characteristic of the novel.
As a work of fiction, however, the novel is mediocre. The structure of alternating chapters between the two sisters on different continents could have worked well, but Kim was inconsistent about it; the Korean chapters work well, with Inja's POV, but the American chapters are split between Miran's POV and Najin's POV (that is, the sister and their mother). The result is that the reader gets to know and sympathize with Inja, but Miran remains fuzzy in the details, which ruins the two-sisters'-POV attempt. And then, once the family is reunited, Inja becomes essentially the sole POV, with Miran's POV diminishing and Najin's disappearing altogether with no explanation. Since the point of Miran and Najin was apparently just to provide some American background, I think that Kim could have achieved a similar effect simply with letters from the American family, since Inja is clearly the central character in the novel anyway. The structure of the novel was really quite irritating.
Plus, Kim covers 1950-1973, which means that it often reads more like a summary of a novel than an actual novel. She'll skim over a couple of years here and there and then pop into a particular event, but those events tended to feel isolated rather than part of a coherent, novelistic whole.
I'm sure there are better novels to read to understand Korea in the mid-20th century, and I'd read those instead.
As a work of fiction, however, the novel is mediocre. The structure of alternating chapters between the two sisters on different continents could have worked well, but Kim was inconsistent about it; the Korean chapters work well, with Inja's POV, but the American chapters are split between Miran's POV and Najin's POV (that is, the sister and their mother). The result is that the reader gets to know and sympathize with Inja, but Miran remains fuzzy in the details, which ruins the two-sisters'-POV attempt. And then, once the family is reunited, Inja becomes essentially the sole POV, with Miran's POV diminishing and Najin's disappearing altogether with no explanation. Since the point of Miran and Najin was apparently just to provide some American background, I think that Kim could have achieved a similar effect simply with letters from the American family, since Inja is clearly the central character in the novel anyway. The structure of the novel was really quite irritating.
Plus, Kim covers 1950-1973, which means that it often reads more like a summary of a novel than an actual novel. She'll skim over a couple of years here and there and then pop into a particular event, but those events tended to feel isolated rather than part of a coherent, novelistic whole.
I'm sure there are better novels to read to understand Korea in the mid-20th century, and I'd read those instead.
October 10, 2018
This novel has everything I love about reading about other cultures and time periods, starting during the Korean War, and extending well into the '60's. Najin and Calvin emigrate to the U.S., but only bring one daughter, Miran. Inja is left behind with her grandparents and Uncle's family - with the intention of bringing her over. However, due to war, financial circumstances, and other situations, Inja does not come to the US until she is 15. Adjusting to live in America, adjusting to having a sister, and parents is not an easy feat. Learning about Korea in the 1950's, the politics and culture of the times, as well as the character development of both sisters, makes for a wonderful read. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
November 7, 2018
I absolutely loved this book! In fact, I stopped reading with about 10-15 pages left because I didn't want it to end. A great emotional roller coaster of a read that I would highly recommend. I am on my way to the bookstore now to get "The Calligrapher's Daughter" because I need more of this wonderful author. I would like to thank Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Goodreads for my ARC that I won in a giveaway.
December 26, 2018
A book about two sisters- one raised in Seoul (which is in midst of a war) and the other in America (still trying to form a perspective about immigrants).
Inja lives with her Uncle in Seoul and has more hardships than one can imagine (especially poverty). Miran is in America with her parents. Inja receives gifts from her parents all the time, her only reminder of her biological parents. But she craves to visit them and be with them.
Miran is a carefree girl and she knows she has a sister but doesn't how to bond with her via letters.
They all try very hard to stay as a family while undergoing a multitude of emotions.
They suffer loss but stay in touch.
The Kinship of Secrets is a book on relationships in midst of a crisis. The characters are multilayered and the author's exploration of emotions is so moving.
The plot spans over many years, and we grow with the characters, learn more about them, feel what they feel.
I enjoyed the writing very much. It's poignant and gripping, just the kind I like most.
The story is also about hope and remembrance and feeling everything so deeply.
Definitely recommended.
Inja lives with her Uncle in Seoul and has more hardships than one can imagine (especially poverty). Miran is in America with her parents. Inja receives gifts from her parents all the time, her only reminder of her biological parents. But she craves to visit them and be with them.
Miran is a carefree girl and she knows she has a sister but doesn't how to bond with her via letters.
They all try very hard to stay as a family while undergoing a multitude of emotions.
They suffer loss but stay in touch.
The Kinship of Secrets is a book on relationships in midst of a crisis. The characters are multilayered and the author's exploration of emotions is so moving.
The plot spans over many years, and we grow with the characters, learn more about them, feel what they feel.
I enjoyed the writing very much. It's poignant and gripping, just the kind I like most.
The story is also about hope and remembrance and feeling everything so deeply.
Definitely recommended.
July 3, 2021
This is Historical Fiction set half in Korea and half in Washington DC. This is a story about a Korean family who flees to America taking one daughter with them and leaving one behind to live with an uncle and his wife. I liked the cultural details in this. For me that was the best part. I thought the author nailed tradition, the two cultures and family relationships with her descriptions.
There were things I liked with this one, but I never felt an attachment with any of the characters. They were a little more distant than I like. So 3 stars.
There were things I liked with this one, but I never felt an attachment with any of the characters. They were a little more distant than I like. So 3 stars.
December 1, 2018
3.5 stars. This book seemed to take forever to read. The story wasn't bad, but I found it to be boring, maybe because the writing was flat or because the family secrets didn't seem that dramatic to me.
October 23, 2020
Read the full review at Elgee Writes
I was not sure what to expect when I picked the book and frankly it took me a while to get into the story. But about 30 pages in, I was completely sucked in. The alternating narratives between the sisters worked very well in this case as did the straight forward narrative.
Kim ensures the reader can trace the disparity between the two girls and the parallel worlds they live in. I adored the much more simplistic life of Inja and her devoted love towards her uncle, despite the dire circumstances they faced.
And Miran always knew that she had a privileged life and bore the brunt of it. She feels like an outsider in her own house when they all speak Korean and grows up watching the packages sent to Korea.
I am usually “heartless” when it comes to fictional characters, but somehow the plight of the young girls made me sob like a baby. And the credit goes to the author for that.
The Kinship of Secrets was an emotional read with compelling characters that are quintessentially Asian. I was surprised to see the many similarities between the traditions and yesteryear’s habits (as heard from family) of Korea and India. The importance of family and putting others first seem to be a common thread.
The Kinship of Secrets is inspired by a true story, so do not miss out on the Author’s note at the end of the book. I am looking forward to reading her other book, The Calligrapher’s Daughter.
What worked for me
The alternating narratives works well and shows the contrast between the lives of the sisters.
I loved the author’s writing style and it invoked so many emotions in me. She also made reading the Korean history more fun.
Knowing that The Kinship of Secrets was inspired by true events made it all the more interesting.
What may have been better
I felt the pre-adolescent chapters could have been shorter.
Bottom line
The Kinship of Secrets by Eugenia Kim is a poignant tale about sisterhood, family and secrets that keep them all together. If you are interested in an emotional read with lots of Korean history, you won’t be disappointed with this one.
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I was not sure what to expect when I picked the book and frankly it took me a while to get into the story. But about 30 pages in, I was completely sucked in. The alternating narratives between the sisters worked very well in this case as did the straight forward narrative.
Kim ensures the reader can trace the disparity between the two girls and the parallel worlds they live in. I adored the much more simplistic life of Inja and her devoted love towards her uncle, despite the dire circumstances they faced.
And Miran always knew that she had a privileged life and bore the brunt of it. She feels like an outsider in her own house when they all speak Korean and grows up watching the packages sent to Korea.
I am usually “heartless” when it comes to fictional characters, but somehow the plight of the young girls made me sob like a baby. And the credit goes to the author for that.
The Kinship of Secrets was an emotional read with compelling characters that are quintessentially Asian. I was surprised to see the many similarities between the traditions and yesteryear’s habits (as heard from family) of Korea and India. The importance of family and putting others first seem to be a common thread.
The Kinship of Secrets is inspired by a true story, so do not miss out on the Author’s note at the end of the book. I am looking forward to reading her other book, The Calligrapher’s Daughter.
What worked for me
The alternating narratives works well and shows the contrast between the lives of the sisters.
I loved the author’s writing style and it invoked so many emotions in me. She also made reading the Korean history more fun.
Knowing that The Kinship of Secrets was inspired by true events made it all the more interesting.
What may have been better
I felt the pre-adolescent chapters could have been shorter.
Bottom line
The Kinship of Secrets by Eugenia Kim is a poignant tale about sisterhood, family and secrets that keep them all together. If you are interested in an emotional read with lots of Korean history, you won’t be disappointed with this one.
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon | Instagram |
October 9, 2018
This is the story of a Korean family who emigrates to the U.S, leaving one child behind. The younger daughter, Inja, is left with her grandparents, aunt and uncle. The plan is that the family will return for her, but fate intercedes - war, finances, paperwork - they all contribute to the postponement of the reunion until Inja is well into her teens. The book follows Miran, as she grows up comfortably in Washington D.C and Inja, as she and her relatives face war, displacement, famine and more. Inja bonds with her grandparents and her Uncle while Miran struggles to understand her parents.
We also read the mother, Najin's, diary as she records her thoughts and struggles. She feels tremendous guilt, has trouble assimilating and misses her family. Eventually Inja is sent for- at age 16 - and the family must learn to be whole again. Inja must assimilate to both American culture and her nuclear family, Miran must learn to be a sister.
The author, Eugenia Kim, paints a very realistic picture of how each family member copes, first with the separation, then with the newly re-formed family. The emotions of anger, hurt, resentment, fear, guilt and love are all explored and feel true. The background of life in Korea vs life in the USA - where the Korean war was not in the headlines is also interesting - always love when I learn stuff!
My favorite parts were reading about Miran and her mother sending care-packages to Korea and what they send provides a snapshot of American culture and also shows how the gifts are sometimes little luxuries, sometimes the means of survival.
The novel is based on Kim's family's true story (modified) and Kim describes how later in life she asked her sister what the experience had been like for her and she used this as the basis of the story.
We also read the mother, Najin's, diary as she records her thoughts and struggles. She feels tremendous guilt, has trouble assimilating and misses her family. Eventually Inja is sent for- at age 16 - and the family must learn to be whole again. Inja must assimilate to both American culture and her nuclear family, Miran must learn to be a sister.
The author, Eugenia Kim, paints a very realistic picture of how each family member copes, first with the separation, then with the newly re-formed family. The emotions of anger, hurt, resentment, fear, guilt and love are all explored and feel true. The background of life in Korea vs life in the USA - where the Korean war was not in the headlines is also interesting - always love when I learn stuff!
My favorite parts were reading about Miran and her mother sending care-packages to Korea and what they send provides a snapshot of American culture and also shows how the gifts are sometimes little luxuries, sometimes the means of survival.
The novel is based on Kim's family's true story (modified) and Kim describes how later in life she asked her sister what the experience had been like for her and she used this as the basis of the story.
September 24, 2018
Wow.
Just wow.
This is one of those books you keep on your bookshelf and open when you're feeling ungrateful or something.
Just reading about the experience of the 2 sisters makes one feel as if they should go thank their parents, and reading the descriptions of the brutality perpetrated during the seldom mentioned Korean war makes me feel like I need to review my history.
This is a beautifully moving book, and I couldn't help but be engrossed in their lives, their kinship and shared connections.
How jarring it must be to be separated from your parents for over a decade while you lived life in post-war Korea- or to be the other sister in America who feels as if she doesn't quite belong?
As you progress in the story and learn about the other characters you really feel as if this is a movie playing in front of your eyes- and learning that its based on a true story makes everything come alive.
Thanks Edelweiss+ for an ARC of this novel.
Just wow.
This is one of those books you keep on your bookshelf and open when you're feeling ungrateful or something.
Just reading about the experience of the 2 sisters makes one feel as if they should go thank their parents, and reading the descriptions of the brutality perpetrated during the seldom mentioned Korean war makes me feel like I need to review my history.
This is a beautifully moving book, and I couldn't help but be engrossed in their lives, their kinship and shared connections.
How jarring it must be to be separated from your parents for over a decade while you lived life in post-war Korea- or to be the other sister in America who feels as if she doesn't quite belong?
As you progress in the story and learn about the other characters you really feel as if this is a movie playing in front of your eyes- and learning that its based on a true story makes everything come alive.
Thanks Edelweiss+ for an ARC of this novel.
October 14, 2018
The main themes of the novel are family, war, time,separation and reconnection. Two sisters, one raised in the United States, the other in South Korea. The Korean war kept the two sisters apart. There are deep family secrets that are revealed in the book. It's about the power of family, faith and love that bound them together. It's based on Eugenia Kim's family story. Beautifully moving, enlightening and well-written.
January 7, 2019
A continuation of the family story begun with The Calligrapher's Daughter, which brings us full circle, if not quite to the present day. Once more, the history Kim covers at the back of the book is helpful in understanding the context of Najin's story. I cannot imagine the privations, pain and horror of being in a war zone, but Kim brings us close in, while still being gentle with the reader.
December 28, 2018
The book, about a South Korean family separated from reunion with their youngest child through what was planned to be a short visit to America to set up a church (as promised by their leaving their daughter to be raised by family in Seoul) that is delayed for years and years due to the Korean war and subsequent political issues. I liked this book. I was so immersed in the storyline. I loved that the pull of parents was subsumed by the love of the family that raises you, and the place that you know. This book told of grief that I could feel in my bones. Yet. There were so many small details, the secrets of the title, that sometimes took the book to almost maudlin places for me. The writing about them was sometimes so flowery and ungrounded, it didn’t fit with the book. Also, some periods were so detailed, while others flew by in significantly shorter chapters, feeling somewhat unbalanced. Finally, I understand that Christianity was a huge part of the history of this family, and of South Korea, but sometimes parts of this book felt a bit like proselytizing. I don’t know how you write the largeness of religion into a family without selling it wholesale, which is not the purpose of a novel. Anyways, I’m going to read Kim’s first novel, and assume there will be another saga for this family in another decade or so! Thanks net galley for the arc, opinions are my own.
December 12, 2018
This was a great read about two sisters separated as babies until their teens. One is left behind during the Korean War with her mothers family while the other grows up in America with her parents. Great insights into the Korean War and culture, as well as love of family and family history. The story follows the girls through their mid 20s. Coming of age and historical fiction. Based on true story. Be sure to read authors note at end.
October 7, 2025
I got this book via A Box of Stories, a subscription service whereby books that didn't sell particularly well are distributed. In fact it was via a former colleague who subscribed and gave this to me as she didn't 'read books from other cultures' (yet was obsessed with fantasy) but that's a whole other story.
I can see why this didn't top bestseller lists and seems to have been largely forgotten about.
Incredibly slow-paced and boring, which is quite a feat for a story that opens in the Korean War. There's action, but Kim's writing style has things going at a snail's pace.
The characters have zero oomph to them, and it's unclear why they even left one daughter in Seoul in the first place, when things were clearly politically turbulent. It just made no sense to me.
In the hands of a better writer, this could've been such a good story, but ultimately I lost count of the amount of times I fell asleep with it in my hands, struggling to finish a short chapter.
1.5* rounded up, as it was dull for me, not terrible, which is where the 1* reads go.
I can see why this didn't top bestseller lists and seems to have been largely forgotten about.
Incredibly slow-paced and boring, which is quite a feat for a story that opens in the Korean War. There's action, but Kim's writing style has things going at a snail's pace.
The characters have zero oomph to them, and it's unclear why they even left one daughter in Seoul in the first place, when things were clearly politically turbulent. It just made no sense to me.
In the hands of a better writer, this could've been such a good story, but ultimately I lost count of the amount of times I fell asleep with it in my hands, struggling to finish a short chapter.
1.5* rounded up, as it was dull for me, not terrible, which is where the 1* reads go.
November 4, 2018
Via my book blog at https://cavebookreviews.blogspot.com/
Shortly before the Korean conflict turned into a fully militarized war, Calvin Cho took his wife, Najin, and one of his daughters, Miran to the USA to raise money for a church. They decided to leave their other daughter, Inja, in the care of Najin's brother.
Calvin worked as a translator and announcer for the US military radio. They did not foresee that it would be many years before the Korean War ended and their family situation would change. They desperately wanted Inja to join them or for them all to return to Korea. The plot circles the facts of that time in history. The narrative is a POV perspective given to us by each girl's inner monologue as they grow up, trying to cope with the lifestyles they cannot change.
Miran loses her ability and desire to speak Korean. She becomes a typical American teenager, resenting her family for the sparse lifestyle of her family as they send every penny they make back to her family in Korea.
Inja is a good student but lives a difficult life in poverty, taking care of her grandmother. Her love for her uncle is the shining light in her heart. She dreads the possibility of being forced to go to the USA. Her family is in Korea, her friends, her school. Inja's greatest fear is that her family will not return to Korea but demand that she goes to the USA.
This novel mines the hearts and souls of victims of war, poverty, religious prejudice, and separation. We read about victims of war and dictatorships all over the world every day. Ms. Kim has given us a real story based on facts of an actual family's grief many years ago.
This novel is a gift at a time when we need to read the inspiration that survival gives us at a time when so many suffering people are trying to flee similar situations.
I received an advanced copy of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley.
Shortly before the Korean conflict turned into a fully militarized war, Calvin Cho took his wife, Najin, and one of his daughters, Miran to the USA to raise money for a church. They decided to leave their other daughter, Inja, in the care of Najin's brother.
Calvin worked as a translator and announcer for the US military radio. They did not foresee that it would be many years before the Korean War ended and their family situation would change. They desperately wanted Inja to join them or for them all to return to Korea. The plot circles the facts of that time in history. The narrative is a POV perspective given to us by each girl's inner monologue as they grow up, trying to cope with the lifestyles they cannot change.
Miran loses her ability and desire to speak Korean. She becomes a typical American teenager, resenting her family for the sparse lifestyle of her family as they send every penny they make back to her family in Korea.
Inja is a good student but lives a difficult life in poverty, taking care of her grandmother. Her love for her uncle is the shining light in her heart. She dreads the possibility of being forced to go to the USA. Her family is in Korea, her friends, her school. Inja's greatest fear is that her family will not return to Korea but demand that she goes to the USA.
This novel mines the hearts and souls of victims of war, poverty, religious prejudice, and separation. We read about victims of war and dictatorships all over the world every day. Ms. Kim has given us a real story based on facts of an actual family's grief many years ago.
This novel is a gift at a time when we need to read the inspiration that survival gives us at a time when so many suffering people are trying to flee similar situations.
I received an advanced copy of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley.
November 9, 2018
I love historical fiction and have read many books but never one about Korea. This story based on the history of the authors own family is set between the Washington, DC and Seoul, Korea. A alternating story of two sisters - one taken for a new life in the US and one left with loving family in Korea. There was the promise they would be back for Inja not anticipating the outbreak of war. A truly heart wrenching story of loss of family, grief of the mother who left her child and the estranged sisters and their very different upbringing. I really loved this story. A fascinating insight into this period of history. Highly recommended.
November 2, 2018
As tensions increase on the Korean peninsula, Miran and Inja’s parents decide to emigrate to the US. However, they leave Inja behind Korea with her grandparents. The parents tell their Korean family they will return the next year, but that year comes and goes and they are unable to return. Inja’s mother, Najin, sends packages home with presents for Inja inside not realizing how wildly inappropriate and confusing they are. When war breaks out in Korea, every one hopes it will be short. It isn’t, and privations suffered by the Korean people are incredible. Both sisters, living such disparate lives, begin to forget what the other even looks like.
This is a story from a perspective little seen in historical fiction, i.e., told from the perspective of each of the sisters, it doesn’t take long for the reader to begin wondering how each will cope should the parents be able to reunite their family. This is an emotional read without being maudlin or overly dramatic.
The author’s writing is fluid and the story well told. There are parts of the book that are hard to read, but are, nevertheless, fulfilling because the reader is invested in the what happens to the sisters.
This is a story from a perspective little seen in historical fiction, i.e., told from the perspective of each of the sisters, it doesn’t take long for the reader to begin wondering how each will cope should the parents be able to reunite their family. This is an emotional read without being maudlin or overly dramatic.
The author’s writing is fluid and the story well told. There are parts of the book that are hard to read, but are, nevertheless, fulfilling because the reader is invested in the what happens to the sisters.
December 13, 2018
I had read recently about a Harry Potter-themed dinner that was very successful and sounded (surprisingly) high-brow. I found the concept interesting because even having read the books, I could only think of a few things mentioned that would be suitable for eating or drinking. Here in this book though, Cassandra Reeder draws on a number of films and books to put together a collection of delicious concoctions.
In excellent news, ginger, cinnamon and citrus feature prominently in the recipes. I particularly loved the recipe for Butterbeer, but the Mint Patty from Archer takes the prize for top drink for me! I have never seen Archer, but this version of a wicked hot chocolate (spiked with Peppermint Schnapps and Creme de Cacao) is so tasty!
As a UK reader, I also love that the recipes include both imperial and metric measurements.
Highly recommended for any fans of fantasy/sci-fi who fancy brewing up a few tipples from their favourite shows/books.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Quarto Publishing and Cassandra Reeder for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
In excellent news, ginger, cinnamon and citrus feature prominently in the recipes. I particularly loved the recipe for Butterbeer, but the Mint Patty from Archer takes the prize for top drink for me! I have never seen Archer, but this version of a wicked hot chocolate (spiked with Peppermint Schnapps and Creme de Cacao) is so tasty!
As a UK reader, I also love that the recipes include both imperial and metric measurements.
Highly recommended for any fans of fantasy/sci-fi who fancy brewing up a few tipples from their favourite shows/books.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Quarto Publishing and Cassandra Reeder for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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