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Year of Impossible Goodbyes
It is 1945, and courageous ten-year-old Sookan and her family must endure the cruelties of the Japanese military occupying Korea. Police captain Narita does his best to destroy everything of value to the family, but he cannot break their spirit. Sookan's father is with the resistance movement in Manchuria and her older brothers have been sent away to labor camps. Her mo...more
Paperback, 176 pages
Published
January 1st 1993
by Yearling
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This book is about a family's life in Korea during the Korean War (Known as the 6.25 war in Korea) The family lives through the Japanese occupation to the Korean war and during the occupation they live in a village in the part of North Korea. Sookan the sister of the family is brave and protects her younger brother. There father is in Manchuria for Japanese-resistant movement and there three older brothers are camped in the labor camp of Japan.
After the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshi...more
After the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshi...more
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For me personally, I respect this book for introducing an oft-overlooked portion of World War II and the years beyond- Korea's occupation by Japan and ultimately America and Russia splitting the country in two. After a dreary existance under the Japanese, young protagonist Sookan falls under the influence of the communist Russians and must escape with her family to the south. Underneath all of the specifics is a formula story about escaping oppression and coming of age, but it was told so beau...more
Choi’s book expresses the indomitable spirit of the Korean nation to confront the tyranny of the Japanese and Russians during and after World War II. A novel of historical fiction, Choi writes in a first person narration that chronicles experiences from her own life. The book seeks to reach an intended audience of juvenile and young adult readers, ages 12 and up. But adults will also find their emotions piqued with this story of struggle and survival. The story takes place in the spring of 1945 ...more
[NOTE: Some spoilers ahead!]
Year of Impossible Goodbyes takes place over a period of approximately 1-2 years, chronicling the lives of 10-year-old Sookan and her family in North Korea. During the oppressive Japanese occupation of Korea, Sookan and her family are not allowed to speak their own language or assert their own culture, and they are essentially slaves to the domineering Captain Narita. When the Japanese lose World War II and pull out of Korea, Sookan and her family rejoice ...more
Year of Impossible Goodbyes takes place over a period of approximately 1-2 years, chronicling the lives of 10-year-old Sookan and her family in North Korea. During the oppressive Japanese occupation of Korea, Sookan and her family are not allowed to speak their own language or assert their own culture, and they are essentially slaves to the domineering Captain Narita. When the Japanese lose World War II and pull out of Korea, Sookan and her family rejoice ...more
I mean i usually say all my books were 5 stars but this one deserves it. Its about this girl named sookan that lives in korea and it gets taken over by japan. After they war ended and Japan lost Russia came into the picture they thought durning the time of Japan took over was bad the time coming was worst. There were lost of sad things in this book they lose the sock girls, her mom gets sickand has to be a maid, her grandfather dies becuz of the japanesse harsh beatings, her father and three bro...more
We enter into this book in Pyongyang, Korea during the Japanese occupation towards the end of WWII. The story of Sookan, a 10-year-old girl living under the cruelties of the Japanese and after them the Russians really engaged me. I knew almost nothing about Korean history and had not been interested in Korea before, so I was glad to find this gateway into their culture and history. Since I'm more familiar with Japanese culture and have lived there, I had to wince at how awful they were to the...more
Ten-year-old Sookan lives with her mother, grandfather, aunt, cousin, and little brother in Japanese-occupied Pyongyang. Her father has escaped to Manchuria and her older brothers are in Japanese labor camps. As the war drags on and the Japanese become even more cruel, Sookan and her family hold out hope that the Americans will come and free them. But when the war is over, it's not the Americans who come, but the Russians, and now their only hope for freedom is to make the dangerous journey sout...more
The title of this book really attracted me because of how interesting and poetic it was, and I found that the book itself was filled with events that I hadn't even known about. I think I've been somewhat biased by my interest in Japanese culture, because I hadn't really given a second thought to Japanese World War II actions other than the Rape of Nanjing and Pearl Harbor. I don't think I even knew that the Japanese had occupied Korea, so learning about that through this book was really surprisi...more
The reason I chose this book is because I'm a HUGE fan of K-pop although this book is centered around Pyongyang, North Korea and most K-pop artists are from South Korea, I still really enjoyed reading this book and understanding some of the hardships the North Koreans had to go through. Sookan, the main character, is very strong and must work hard to be a noona (what a younger boy calls an older girl) to her youngest brother, Inchun. Together, with their umma (mother), and a guide they attem...more
Year of Impossible Goodbyes has received and interest level of 5th.-8th. grades. It is a historical novel about a young girl's experiences in North Korea under Japanese rule before the war ended and Russian rule after the war ended. It does use the word "bastard" a couple of times and also tells of how the Japanese closed down a sock-making shop and sent the girls to take care of the needs of soldiers. Some parents might find book objectionable for the audience to which it is recomme...more
Oh my gosh... This is my favorite book of all time (Next to Gone, of course.) This book is so sad and so beautiful. It's set in 1945 North Korea, with the main character a young girl named Sookan. She lives with her younger brother and mother. Her older brother and father live in South Korea. The story progresses from when the Japanese controlled northern Korea, to when the Russian's held control. Sookan eventually looses a very important person to her, and she and her family break free of Noth ...more
Based on the author's experiences in Korea, this novel tells the story of 10-yr. old Sookan, who lives in North Korea through the occupations of the Japanese and the Russians. This is a powerful story of an extended family, whose sons and father has been taken away. Of the girls her mother supervises in the sock factory built on Sookan's family land, until these girls are taken away to serve as "spirit girls". Of the excitation and then realizations when the Russians take over North Ko...more
Marlene
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This book is so sad! This story takes place in Kirinimi, a small town in Pyong Yang, North Korea. I never rly finished it, so don't tell my lang arts teacher! jkjkjk I finished it. The book is about a girl named Sookan who's family is being split up. Her father was captured by the japenese army, but he escaped and was living somewhere in south korea. Then Her brothers were taken to war. they had to live in a training camp with almost no food. Then Sookan's grandfather died. so sad! The war betwe...more
Most of what I’ve read about WWII has been about Hitler’s domination and the horrible fate of the Jewish people. All I knew about Japan’s role in WWII was Pearl Harbor and Hiroshima. In this book the author writes about her childhood in Korea, growing up under the harsh control of the Japanese Imperialists. When WWII ends and it seems that everything will return to normal, the Soviets invade! Toward the end of the book I could not put it down. It’s incredible what some people have had to live th...more
Most of what I've read about WWII has been about Hitler's domination and the horrible fate of the Jewish people. All I knew about Japan's role in WWII was Pearl Harbor and Hiroshima. In this book the author writes about her childhood in Korea, growing up under the harsh control of the Japanese Imperialists. When WWII ends and it seems that everything will return to normal, the Communist Russians invade! Toward the end of the book I could not put it down. It's incredible what some people hav...more
Sookan is ten years old and living in North Korea during WWII. Her father, brothers, and uncle are all gone and she is living with her mother, aunt, grandfather, and little brother. The Japanese control her town and things are horrible: she's not allowed to speak Korean, her mother must tirelessly run a sock factory for the Japanese in their front year, and her grandfather is frustrated beyond belief at the occupation. When the war ends, hope explodes in her small town, but soon that is eradicat...more
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Lauren Gommert
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A wonderfully written novel that shines light on a much forgotten piece of history. The Korean people have suffered greatly over the years and this novel will help enlighten many minds. Though written for a young audience the novel doesn't shy away from brutal honesty when describing the daily torment inflicted upon the Koreans by first the Japanese, and later the Russians.
This was my favorite book for the longest time. I'll say it's my #2, now. This was the first long book I finished. That was in 7th grade(?).
The perspective really grabbed me. It's seen through the eyes of a young girl. The journey in the end keeps you on your toes. I love this story. It's very sad but touches your heart.
The perspective really grabbed me. It's seen through the eyes of a young girl. The journey in the end keeps you on your toes. I love this story. It's very sad but touches your heart.
This is a young adult book but it has a great story. Set in 1945, Sookan, a ten year old girl and her family endure cruelties of the Japanese military that occupies Korea. This story is about a families love for one another and their determination to risk all they have for freedom.
It was interesting to read this historical fiction book and learn what it might have been like to live under communist rule. How frightening. Wish this book didn't have to use a few swearwords. This book gave me a perspective and helps me feel more grateful to live in a free country.
As Americans, I've always felt we don't know how good we've got it. Yes, Americans have fought in wars, but other than the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, we've been lucky not to have fighting on our shores. This heartbreaking tale of a girl in the Korean War is worth a read.
I love this story. Sook Nyul Choi gives a realistic look at what it would have been like to be trapped on the wrong side in Korea after WWII. I loved having a glimps of Korean history. This book shows how important personal freedoms are.
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Heart rending portrayal of a Korean girl during the end of WWII. My son,Christopher, was surprised that people could be so cruel to each other. Teaches endurance, compassion and the value of freedom.
Gleaning titles from the Sonlight lists again. This is a very well done, engrossing story of a family in North Korea in 1945. An area most of us can stand to learn more about! Enjoyed this.
Great intro, and fascinating story. The ending was a little abrupt, but it did seem to tie up the loose ends. The author definitely knows how to pull the heart-strings!
Very well written and a very adult book for kids (nothing bad). Anyway, it speaks of a little girl's experience during two wars that is usually not heard of often!
A young Korean girl survives the oppressive Japanese and Russian occupation of North Korea during the 1940s and later escapes to freedom in South Korea.
this was a very good story obout the koren war and what a tipical family went through. although the torture is bad and i hate it!!!
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