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23rd out of 86 books
—
72 voters
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 mother i...more
Paperback, 176 pages
Published
January 1st 1993
by Yearling
(first published September 13th 1991)
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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 Hiroshima and Nagas...more
After the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima and Nagas...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 beauti...more
This book was a gift from my mom when I was an older child or young teen. I absolutely love this story, and I appreciate it more every time I read it.
Set in Korea, beginning in Pyongyang in 1945, the story follows Sookan and her remaining family members--her mother, little brother, grandfather, aunt, and cousin--through their difficult everyday lives under Japanese rule. Through the course of the first part of the book, we learn how long the Japanese had oppressed the Koreans, and the whereabou...more
Set in Korea, beginning in Pyongyang in 1945, the story follows Sookan and her remaining family members--her mother, little brother, grandfather, aunt, and cousin--through their difficult everyday lives under Japanese rule. Through the course of the first part of the book, we learn how long the Japanese had oppressed the Koreans, and the whereabou...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 in the new l...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 in the new l...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 Ko...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
Finally, here we have some Young Adult fiction that's actually pretty good. In the past five years I've attempted a handful of YA books and time after time was disappointed that these works' appeal/enjoyability couldn't transcend the young adult age group (at least for me) the way that say, Harry Potter can. In 'Year of Impossible Goodbyes' (great title by the way) we're presented a fictionalized account of the very real struggle of the Korean peninsula. During WW2 the Japanese occupied the Kore...more
Year of Impossible Goodbyes is the story of a young Korean girl and her family. It begins during the Japanese occupation of Korea, and depicts the harshness of living under an invading people's thumb. When the war ends, the family is hopeful and relieved that they are now free. However, the Russians quickly invade and promise equality and surplus under the new Communist rule. The family quickly learns of the back-breaking work and paranoia that Communism brings with it. They devise a plan to esc...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 recommended.
The b...more
The b...more
Many atrocities were committed during World War 2 by the Japanese, Germans, and Italians against other groups. In this book, it focuses on a Japan-dominated Korea as told in the POV of a young teenage girl. Her father and older brothers have been carted off to contribute to the cause.
While it's obvious that unpleasant things happen in this book, it avoids graphic detail that would be inappropriate for children, and presents the reality of war at an age-appropriate level, and has a lot of little...more
While it's obvious that unpleasant things happen in this book, it avoids graphic detail that would be inappropriate for children, and presents the reality of war at an age-appropriate level, and has a lot of little...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 Korea.
This i...more
This i...more
Mar 18, 2009
Marlene
added it
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
I can't explain how Sook Nyul Choi managed to write about her life as a child escaping North Korea, include every harrowing detail, and yet wrap it up so that young readers can take it in. I only know she does it from her heart and soul.
Choi grew up near Hanoi under Japanese rule. She saw her grandfather tortured, her mother's employees taken away by the Japanese army to be "comfort women" for the soldiers in battle, and lost countless friends. Under later Communist rule things grew slightly saf...more
Choi grew up near Hanoi under Japanese rule. She saw her grandfather tortured, her mother's employees taken away by the Japanese army to be "comfort women" for the soldiers in battle, and lost countless friends. Under later Communist rule things grew slightly saf...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
It's probably worth more stars but really how can any book about war be a good book? Sometimes living here in Korea I get frustrated about how the Koreans are so prejudiced against other people. But reading this helps me understand. A tiny country that is constantly getting taken over. And really it's not only not fair but horrible, sickening, mean, devastating, depressing, etc. I guess we read books like this to remind us what shouldn't be repeated but also to celebrate the lives of those peopl...more
About an aspect of WWII that I knew nothing about, Year of Impossible Goodbyes, follows the story of a young girl in Japanese-occupied Korea during WWII and it's subsequent division and submission to Russian-introduced Communism. The writing style took a little while for me to get used to, but once I did, it really held my interest. Not one of my favorite historical fiction novels by any means, but it did remind me of one of the perks of reading historical fiction -- learning something that I di...more
Year of impossible goodbyes. A novel about history. A novel about the war of Japan and N.Korea vs S.Korea. The author is the main character. And this novel is about her in her teenage years. When she was suffering with her family. Obviously, not many people lived at this time, because of the war. But this book is sharing the amazing thoughts of what she was thinking and doing during the lifetime events. The antagonist is obviously Japan. But there is a more specific one. His name was Captain Na...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 have had...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
Definitely interesting/informative about Korea at the time (1945). Japanese occupation and oppression. 38th parallel divison. Russians in the North. Am a little ashamed to say some historical details have been clarified (by this children's novel). Writing style is perhaps appropriate for the intended audience, but too choppy at times for this adult reader (who rarely comments on writing style). Would highly recommend for a strong young reader who wants out of their little cultural box.
Oct 26, 2012
Anja Manning
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2012,
uwm-child-lit-645
This is a historical novel that does a great job at describing the Japanese occupation of Korea during WWII, and the lack of relief when the Russians take over what is to become North Korea. I previously knew nothing of this history.
The story is based on the author's experiences as a child and the characters keep the story going.
The story does have a happy ending but this book contains dramatic scenes. I am not sure how suitable this book is for younger children.
The story is based on the author's experiences as a child and the characters keep the story going.
The story does have a happy ending but this book contains dramatic scenes. I am not sure how suitable this book is for younger children.
What would you do to find freedom? 10 year old Sookan and her family live in Korea in the midst of WWII. When everything special gets taken away from them (they now have to learn Japanese and not Korean), the family does what it can to keep going and make sure their spirits stay strong. However, when the war ends, they are faced with a new threat and have to a desperate escape to the South.
Through Sookan, a Korean child living with her mother in Japanese occupied Korea, the book shows a part of the war that is overlooked. Sookan and her mother work hard to make sure their sock factory stays alive to support/save the girls working there. After the war when Russia and America divide it into North and South Korea, Sookan and her mother make the choice of whether to stay or leave.
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Jul 29, 2011
Lauren Gommert
added it
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.
Rereading this was as painful as it was the first time. The quality of life in Japanese-occupied Korea was a mix of family strength and cruel abuse and loss. This story needs to be read and discussed to explore the very real consequences of unabated power over those who are helpless. Winner of countless accolades and awards, merits rereading in any generation.
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