An impressive debut novel about four young women battling to hold their own in the ultramodern, image-obsessed city of modern day Seoul.
Frances Cha, a former journalist, has lived and worked across the US, Hong Kong and South Korea, giving her a unique perspective on the plight of women at a time of shifting cultural norms and extreme wealth disparity.
“Rich people are fascinated by happiness,” she said. “It’s something they find maddening.” If I had your face
The Seoul of the novel is a fascinating, inhuman place, where plastic surgery is ubiquitous, bosses are abusive, men cheat and the future is best not thought about at all. Somehow though, despite this bleak backdrop, the book is never dreary, as in the face of their hardships the vitality of the main characters keeps the narrative buoyant, demanding you read on. The street-eye-view of South Korean culture is intriguing – and I’d recommend the book just for that – but the heart of the story is the relationships between the four women and their growing intimacy and solidarity.
The three hundred pages fly by, and the book leaves us with enough reason to be hopeful for these characters we’ve come to care so much about.
All in all, if you like a smart book with captivating characters and an enthralling insight into another culture, this will be a great bet. Let me know what you think in the comments and don’t forget to sign up for future blog updates.
Buy on kindle £4.99
Paperback from Betterworld Books £7.56
Follow the author at @FRANCES_H_CHA
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