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The Hundred Choices Department Store
It’s 1944. The Pangs own The Hundred Choices Department Store, a thriving business in northern Korea that caters to wealthy Japanese. Thirteen-year-old Miyook Pang has spent two years serving in the war effort on behalf of Japan during the Japanese Occupation of her country. Miyook endures exhaustion and illness, but only when she is sent to work in the dreaded dye factory – a place deemed Hell’s Chamber by her older brother, Hoon - does she experience spiritual death. It is here where she meets Song-ho, an orphaned boy, and unbeknownst to her, the brief encounter will prove fateful. When Japan loses the war, Russian soldiers capture her beloved hometown and The Hundred Choices Department Store, leaving the city in ruin. With the Korean War looming, Miyook must take a dangerous flight south, across the 38th parallel now guarded by the newly formed North Korean Army. Here, once again, she encounters Song-ho, an event that will change the course of her life.
100 pages, Paperback
First published March 25, 2022
About the author
Ginger Park
12 books26 followersAuthor of THE HUNDRED CHOICES DEPARTMENT STORE (awarded 2022 BEST BOOKS by Korean American Authors by Best of Korea) https://bestofkorea.com/round-up-of-k.... Recently published: GRANDPA'S SCROLL. Forthcoming: SUKA'S FARM (Fall, 2024), BINNA'S BIRTHDAY (Spring, 2025).
According to my life path number 3, I was destined to write (that is if you believe in numerology and I do). But as a youngster, I was an athlete, a gymnast with boundless energy, spending most of my time upside down, turning cartwheels and doing backflips – I was too carefree to tap into my creative side.
That all changed on my seventeenth birthday, two days after my father’s untimely death. Call it a gut-wrenching aha moment, a reflective day of tearful soul-searching when I realized that I knew very little about my parents – their lives and dreams growing up in Korea, their struggles to survive in a world of war, oppression, and life shattering events.
For the next few months, I was fretful, clinging to my mother, yearning to know her life story as well as my father’s, fearing our time together was like sand in an hourglass. Night after night, we stayed up late sifting through old photos as my mother shared anecdotal events of the homeland. I was mesmerized, listening, interpreting, and ultimately crafting my art while documenting my family’s rich past that spanned the Korean peninsula from the northern port city of Sinuiju to the capital city of Seoul.
And, so, began my writing journey.
While I never followed in my father’s Harvard footsteps, writing books and owning a boutique chocolate shop in the heart of downtown Washington, DC have been my true education. Yes, Books and Chocolate. As writer and entrepreneur, I’ve built a sweet life, surviving and thriving in an uncertain world.
I’ve written a delicious chocolate memoir and a cookbook for allergy sufferers as well as some whimsical picture books such as Where on Earth Is My Bagel? and The Have a Good Day Café. Do you see a theme here? Yes, I’m a foodie at heart! But it is the books inspired by my parents’ experiences growing up in Japanese occupied Korea, enduring the Russian invasion of their homeland and the Korean War, that have deeper meaning, bring a tragic yet vibrant world back to life.
Sadly, my mother passed away in 2019, but like my father, she lives on through my books, which have garnered many accolades including the International Reading Association’s Children’s Book Award, Paterson Prize for Books for Young People, The Joan G. Sugarman Children’s Book Award, Outstanding Merit, Best Children’s Books of the Year, Bank Street College, Parents’ Choice Award, A Junior Library Guild Selection, IRA-CBC Teachers’ Choice Award, and NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Book For Young People Children’s Book Award.
My books have been published by National Geographic, Boyds Mills & Kane, Hyperion, Lee & Low, St. Martin’s Press, Thomas Dunne, and Albert Whitman.
I’m honored to add Regal House Publishing to the list with the publication of my latest work The Hundred Choices Department Store. Set in Sinuiju, Korea, this historical novel is inspired by my mother’s remembrances of her family’s painful struggles during the Russian invasion of their hometown and ultimate flight south, across the 38th parallel to Seoul, just prior to the outbreak of the Korean War.
When I’m not writing or spending treasured time with my human and fur baby family, I’m usually at my shop, behind the counter ‘breaking chocolate’ with my beloved customers. My shop motto: There’s a chocolate for every mood. But for me it’s always something dark and earthy that lingers on the tongue long after the chocolate has melted.
According to my life path number 3, I was destined to write (that is if you believe in numerology and I do). But as a youngster, I was an athlete, a gymnast with boundless energy, spending most of my time upside down, turning cartwheels and doing backflips – I was too carefree to tap into my creative side.
That all changed on my seventeenth birthday, two days after my father’s untimely death. Call it a gut-wrenching aha moment, a reflective day of tearful soul-searching when I realized that I knew very little about my parents – their lives and dreams growing up in Korea, their struggles to survive in a world of war, oppression, and life shattering events.
For the next few months, I was fretful, clinging to my mother, yearning to know her life story as well as my father’s, fearing our time together was like sand in an hourglass. Night after night, we stayed up late sifting through old photos as my mother shared anecdotal events of the homeland. I was mesmerized, listening, interpreting, and ultimately crafting my art while documenting my family’s rich past that spanned the Korean peninsula from the northern port city of Sinuiju to the capital city of Seoul.
And, so, began my writing journey.
While I never followed in my father’s Harvard footsteps, writing books and owning a boutique chocolate shop in the heart of downtown Washington, DC have been my true education. Yes, Books and Chocolate. As writer and entrepreneur, I’ve built a sweet life, surviving and thriving in an uncertain world.
I’ve written a delicious chocolate memoir and a cookbook for allergy sufferers as well as some whimsical picture books such as Where on Earth Is My Bagel? and The Have a Good Day Café. Do you see a theme here? Yes, I’m a foodie at heart! But it is the books inspired by my parents’ experiences growing up in Japanese occupied Korea, enduring the Russian invasion of their homeland and the Korean War, that have deeper meaning, bring a tragic yet vibrant world back to life.
Sadly, my mother passed away in 2019, but like my father, she lives on through my books, which have garnered many accolades including the International Reading Association’s Children’s Book Award, Paterson Prize for Books for Young People, The Joan G. Sugarman Children’s Book Award, Outstanding Merit, Best Children’s Books of the Year, Bank Street College, Parents’ Choice Award, A Junior Library Guild Selection, IRA-CBC Teachers’ Choice Award, and NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Book For Young People Children’s Book Award.
My books have been published by National Geographic, Boyds Mills & Kane, Hyperion, Lee & Low, St. Martin’s Press, Thomas Dunne, and Albert Whitman.
I’m honored to add Regal House Publishing to the list with the publication of my latest work The Hundred Choices Department Store. Set in Sinuiju, Korea, this historical novel is inspired by my mother’s remembrances of her family’s painful struggles during the Russian invasion of their hometown and ultimate flight south, across the 38th parallel to Seoul, just prior to the outbreak of the Korean War.
When I’m not writing or spending treasured time with my human and fur baby family, I’m usually at my shop, behind the counter ‘breaking chocolate’ with my beloved customers. My shop motto: There’s a chocolate for every mood. But for me it’s always something dark and earthy that lingers on the tongue long after the chocolate has melted.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
June 4, 2026
Presenting you my first five stars read in 2026, and it is not a statement I often tell.
I was browsing the list of upcoming Korean literature releases for the rest of the year through London Korean Links when, for some reason, I stumbled upon this book in the past-published section and decided to give it a try.
Unbeknownst to me, this book is nothing like what it looks. I was first drawn in by the lilac cover and the title Hundred Choices Department Store, which made me think it would be one of those cozy department store stories with short, light chapters. Fast forward to me sobbing on my bed. 10/10 deception. Would definitely cry again.
This novel follows a family who runs a department store catering to Japanese customers in Sinuiju during the Japanese occupation of Korea in the 1940s. The story is told through the memories of eighty-nine-year-old Miyooki, who looks back on her life as a thirteen-year-old girl growing up amid the turbulence of war, colonial rule, liberation, and division.
In stark contrast to the dark realities of the era, the family enjoys a life of privilege and abundance. Yet each member holds different values. Hwan, the elder brother, rejects his Korean identity and chases a dazzling lifestyle admired even by the Japanese. Hoon, the younger brother, resents colonial rule, criticizes Hwan, and dedicates himself to running the department store. Their parents show little interest in wealth, choosing instead to help those in need. Through Miyooki's eyes, we watch these relationships unfold with the delicacy and curiosity of a teenage girl.
For all that, the world outside is brutal. As Japan's prospects in the Pacific War worsen, colonial authorities intensify forced conscription and send students to work in factories. While enduring forced labor at a dyeing factory, Miyooki witnesses the horrific reality of children who suffer violence and abuse without the protection of their parents. The world she once knew begins to crack, revealing suffering and injustice that had previously existed beyond her sheltered view.
When Korea is liberated in 1945 following Japan's defeat, Miyooki is overjoyed. But happiness is short-lived as Russian soldiers occupied the North. Not only the department store but much of Sinuiju itself is reduced to ruins. As tensions rise between North and South Korea and war looms on the horizon, the family faces an agonizing decision: whether to abandon everything and flee south across the 38th Parallel.
What moved me most about this book is how it approaches such a dark and painful period through the perspective of a young girl coming of age. Through Miyooki's observant and sensitive eyes, each family member becomes part of her gradual understanding of the world as Miyooki herself exists between many boundaries. As she navigates these opposing worlds, she slowly learns that human beings are capable of both tremendous cruelty and profound kindness.
Perhaps what surprised me most was that this is a middle-grade novel. It's not unusual for books in this category to resonate with me, but the depth and maturity of this one still caught me off guard. At its heart, this is a story about identity, empathy, and learning to see the world as it truly is. It does not shy away from the brutality of history, but neither does it allow that brutality to define humanity entirely. Instead, it highlights the quiet virtues that endure even in times of chaos—devotion, trust, generosity, and thoughtfulness.
Like the changing seasons that fill its pages, the novel moves gently from innocence to understanding, from abundance to loss, and from despair to hope. Its ultimate triump is not in recounting history, but in illuminating the humanity that persists within it. By the final page, I felt as though I had not only witnessed Miyooki's memories but carried a small piece of them away with me.
Now, if you see a lilac cover with the words "The Hundred Choices Department Store," do not be fooled by its gentle disguise. Buy it anyway. But maybe keep tissues nearby. And don't say I didn't warn you. Now excuse me while I go stare at a wall and recover.
I was browsing the list of upcoming Korean literature releases for the rest of the year through London Korean Links when, for some reason, I stumbled upon this book in the past-published section and decided to give it a try.
"Yes, Japan occupied my country, but not my heart..."
Unbeknownst to me, this book is nothing like what it looks. I was first drawn in by the lilac cover and the title Hundred Choices Department Store, which made me think it would be one of those cozy department store stories with short, light chapters. Fast forward to me sobbing on my bed. 10/10 deception. Would definitely cry again.
This novel follows a family who runs a department store catering to Japanese customers in Sinuiju during the Japanese occupation of Korea in the 1940s. The story is told through the memories of eighty-nine-year-old Miyooki, who looks back on her life as a thirteen-year-old girl growing up amid the turbulence of war, colonial rule, liberation, and division.
In stark contrast to the dark realities of the era, the family enjoys a life of privilege and abundance. Yet each member holds different values. Hwan, the elder brother, rejects his Korean identity and chases a dazzling lifestyle admired even by the Japanese. Hoon, the younger brother, resents colonial rule, criticizes Hwan, and dedicates himself to running the department store. Their parents show little interest in wealth, choosing instead to help those in need. Through Miyooki's eyes, we watch these relationships unfold with the delicacy and curiosity of a teenage girl.
For all that, the world outside is brutal. As Japan's prospects in the Pacific War worsen, colonial authorities intensify forced conscription and send students to work in factories. While enduring forced labor at a dyeing factory, Miyooki witnesses the horrific reality of children who suffer violence and abuse without the protection of their parents. The world she once knew begins to crack, revealing suffering and injustice that had previously existed beyond her sheltered view.
When Korea is liberated in 1945 following Japan's defeat, Miyooki is overjoyed. But happiness is short-lived as Russian soldiers occupied the North. Not only the department store but much of Sinuiju itself is reduced to ruins. As tensions rise between North and South Korea and war looms on the horizon, the family faces an agonizing decision: whether to abandon everything and flee south across the 38th Parallel.
What moved me most about this book is how it approaches such a dark and painful period through the perspective of a young girl coming of age. Through Miyooki's observant and sensitive eyes, each family member becomes part of her gradual understanding of the world as Miyooki herself exists between many boundaries. As she navigates these opposing worlds, she slowly learns that human beings are capable of both tremendous cruelty and profound kindness.
Perhaps what surprised me most was that this is a middle-grade novel. It's not unusual for books in this category to resonate with me, but the depth and maturity of this one still caught me off guard. At its heart, this is a story about identity, empathy, and learning to see the world as it truly is. It does not shy away from the brutality of history, but neither does it allow that brutality to define humanity entirely. Instead, it highlights the quiet virtues that endure even in times of chaos—devotion, trust, generosity, and thoughtfulness.
Like the changing seasons that fill its pages, the novel moves gently from innocence to understanding, from abundance to loss, and from despair to hope. Its ultimate triump is not in recounting history, but in illuminating the humanity that persists within it. By the final page, I felt as though I had not only witnessed Miyooki's memories but carried a small piece of them away with me.
Now, if you see a lilac cover with the words "The Hundred Choices Department Store," do not be fooled by its gentle disguise. Buy it anyway. But maybe keep tissues nearby. And don't say I didn't warn you. Now excuse me while I go stare at a wall and recover.
March 16, 2022
Yet it is the memory of my beloved brother, Hoon, that always brings a lump to my throat. If I close my eyes, I can still see him working The Hundred Choices Department Store floor with flair and elegance. Yes, a bygone era, but one always alive in my heart.
Our narrator is Miyooki. As a schoolgirl in 1944 Sinuiju, she had to endure many drastic changes in her life. Her Ama and Opa were heavily involved in their church (her father was the pastor). Their philanthropic work sometimes separated them from young Miyooki and her two older brothers -- fraternal twins Hwan and Hoon. The Hundred Choices Department Store was owned by their family and the loss of that iconic landmark was devastating. In the course of the book, Miyoki goes from being abused by a sensei at school to sheltering at a family compound in the mountains to fleeing to the South and Seoul. The beginnings of the North Korea we know today are written in the margins. I heard Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, warning Russia that they are doomed to become like North Korea is they continue on the course they are on. Books like this are always timely, but never more so than now. I would also recommend a picture book: When Spring Comes to the DMZ, a graphic novel: Cold War Correspondent (Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales #11): A Korean War Tale, and a novel: Pachinko
to read more about Korea.
Thank you to Fitzroy Books and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
Our narrator is Miyooki. As a schoolgirl in 1944 Sinuiju, she had to endure many drastic changes in her life. Her Ama and Opa were heavily involved in their church (her father was the pastor). Their philanthropic work sometimes separated them from young Miyooki and her two older brothers -- fraternal twins Hwan and Hoon. The Hundred Choices Department Store was owned by their family and the loss of that iconic landmark was devastating. In the course of the book, Miyoki goes from being abused by a sensei at school to sheltering at a family compound in the mountains to fleeing to the South and Seoul. The beginnings of the North Korea we know today are written in the margins. I heard Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, warning Russia that they are doomed to become like North Korea is they continue on the course they are on. Books like this are always timely, but never more so than now. I would also recommend a picture book: When Spring Comes to the DMZ, a graphic novel: Cold War Correspondent (Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales #11): A Korean War Tale, and a novel: Pachinko
to read more about Korea.
Thank you to Fitzroy Books and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
January 13, 2022
**Received an eARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review
The Hundred Choices Department Store follows the Pangs, a Korean family living under Japanese Seige, in 1944. The story is told by Miyooki, an eighty-nine-year-old, that takes us back into her thirteen-year-old childhood memories.
We briefly see Miyooki's three worlds in detail: memories of her life before Japan's rule, her current life during the Japanese occupation, and then post world war II, under the Russian military.
Ginger Park's extraordinary storytelling skills transport us to these hard realities of wartime.
Very unique and distinct characters. I believe each of them carries out a message for us readers about this wartime and how/what each family member endured life and their faith.
Yea, religion also plays an important role here. Through the Pangs, who are Christians, Ginger Park shows us how the importance of love, union, faith, forgiveness, kindness, compassion...
There are several moments in the story in which faith is questionable, partly due to the horrors Miyooki experiences or witnesses.
The department store is owned by her family, yet can only sell luxurious goods to Japanese customers ( meaning Koreans are not allowed). I believe the importance of the department store even as to become the title of the book, is the fact that it represents once the life Miyooki wanted, a getaway dream from her extreme labor and war. Inside the Hundred Choices Department Store, whose neon sign lit up the town at night, everything seemed magical to Miyuki. Also, after world war two, once the Russian military destroys the department store, it embodies everything Miyooki lost after that, little by little her life, her dreams, and her wish for freedom start to crumble. She is forced to leave behind all she ever knew, leave her mother and seek freedom in South Korea, all that was left was her memories of happy times with her family.
I enjoyed everything about this book, the characters, the historical facts, the elegant writing, cultural aspects, and above all the emotions portrayed here. It made me feel emotionally connected to Miyooki and her brother Hoon.
The Hundred Choices Department Store follows the Pangs, a Korean family living under Japanese Seige, in 1944. The story is told by Miyooki, an eighty-nine-year-old, that takes us back into her thirteen-year-old childhood memories.
We briefly see Miyooki's three worlds in detail: memories of her life before Japan's rule, her current life during the Japanese occupation, and then post world war II, under the Russian military.
Ginger Park's extraordinary storytelling skills transport us to these hard realities of wartime.
Very unique and distinct characters. I believe each of them carries out a message for us readers about this wartime and how/what each family member endured life and their faith.
Yea, religion also plays an important role here. Through the Pangs, who are Christians, Ginger Park shows us how the importance of love, union, faith, forgiveness, kindness, compassion...
There are several moments in the story in which faith is questionable, partly due to the horrors Miyooki experiences or witnesses.
The department store is owned by her family, yet can only sell luxurious goods to Japanese customers ( meaning Koreans are not allowed). I believe the importance of the department store even as to become the title of the book, is the fact that it represents once the life Miyooki wanted, a getaway dream from her extreme labor and war. Inside the Hundred Choices Department Store, whose neon sign lit up the town at night, everything seemed magical to Miyuki. Also, after world war two, once the Russian military destroys the department store, it embodies everything Miyooki lost after that, little by little her life, her dreams, and her wish for freedom start to crumble. She is forced to leave behind all she ever knew, leave her mother and seek freedom in South Korea, all that was left was her memories of happy times with her family.
I enjoyed everything about this book, the characters, the historical facts, the elegant writing, cultural aspects, and above all the emotions portrayed here. It made me feel emotionally connected to Miyooki and her brother Hoon.
January 6, 2022
Miyook Pang's family own a luxurious department store in northern Korea that caters to wealthy Japanese. When we meet 13-year-old Miyook in 1944, her country is still under Japan's rule, and she is navigating two very different worlds. As is required by her teacher, she is, alongside other Korean students, helping out with the Japanese war effort (darning socks, polishing boots, and even leaving school to work in a nightmarish dye factory). At the same time, her family's status in the community offers her certain comforts and opportunities to forget the war now and then -- to see the department store (even if she cannot shop there), and to enjoy meals and conversations at the nearby Udon House with her beloved older brother Hoon. She is also able to leave her school and escape to the family's mountain home with the family's housekeeper, appreciating the seasons of nature, helping her Oma care for local orphans, and working on an embroidered canvas that symbolizes happier times. But her sanctuary there is short-lived, as is freedom; Russian soldiers quickly take over her home city, destroying parts of it, including the family's store. The Pangs get by with a stockpile of goods to sell, and strategize about how to survive a long winter - and eventually, how to flee south. Though the Pangs are not perfect - fraternal twins Hwan and Hoon, who manage the store, have very different political views and aspirations, and their tension at times reverberates through the entire family - they are resilient and have close bonds. The family members all help one another to try to make it through, sometimes in unexpected ways and making surprising choices.
Ginger Park captures and compresses a large span of historical events with such carefully selected details. She filters the history through the appealing viewpoint of Miyook, who is growing into a young woman under difficult circumstances. Miyook's world changes quickly as war drags on, conflicts worsen, and the Korean War looms. But freedom -- whether it is found in nature, art, family bonds, or, ultimately, in southern Korea - is something Miyook consistently strives for. Her appreciation for small things (lemon candies, kindness to others) has enormous repercussions. I can see this book appealing to fans of Alan Gratz in the way it depicts people whose lives are interrupted and displaced by war. Park does not shy away from showing some hard realities of wartime life, but also finds moments of hope and beauty. This is an elegantly written novel with great attention to detail that brings the time period and settings to life; at times it feels like the embroidered canvas the novel opens with. It is also a suspenseful page-turner that will have you rooting for Miyook and her family every step of the way. Highly recommend!!
Ginger Park captures and compresses a large span of historical events with such carefully selected details. She filters the history through the appealing viewpoint of Miyook, who is growing into a young woman under difficult circumstances. Miyook's world changes quickly as war drags on, conflicts worsen, and the Korean War looms. But freedom -- whether it is found in nature, art, family bonds, or, ultimately, in southern Korea - is something Miyook consistently strives for. Her appreciation for small things (lemon candies, kindness to others) has enormous repercussions. I can see this book appealing to fans of Alan Gratz in the way it depicts people whose lives are interrupted and displaced by war. Park does not shy away from showing some hard realities of wartime life, but also finds moments of hope and beauty. This is an elegantly written novel with great attention to detail that brings the time period and settings to life; at times it feels like the embroidered canvas the novel opens with. It is also a suspenseful page-turner that will have you rooting for Miyook and her family every step of the way. Highly recommend!!
August 21, 2026
I thought it would be a healing fiction, but it's actually a historical fiction! It's about a life of Miyooki and her family surviving the war in 1944, which led to the partition of Korea in 1945.
It's actually unbelievable because I just saw the tag for this book, and it's a middle grade 😲
It's actually unbelievable because I just saw the tag for this book, and it's a middle grade 😲
April 12, 2022
I recently happened to walk by a local candy store in DC that I hadn’t been to for years. They had some books on their shelves (!) and the two store owners — who are sisters, and authors — began discussing the books with me. This one is the story of their mother, and how she left Korea and came to the US.
This was powerfully written and makes me appreciate the stability of my childhood.
This was powerfully written and makes me appreciate the stability of my childhood.
March 18, 2022
Divided country and divided family in a divided country. A Korean family is torn apart by Japanese and Russian rule during World War II and yet somehow are held together by faith and love. Communism forces the family who owns the Hundred Choices Department Store to leave everything behind to escape to freedom.
This book brings the plight of many Koreans during the war era to life. This is a piece of history that I knew very little about and is an excellent introduction to life in Korea during World War II and the civil war that followed.
This book brings the plight of many Koreans during the war era to life. This is a piece of history that I knew very little about and is an excellent introduction to life in Korea during World War II and the civil war that followed.
January 21, 2022
1944. Sinuiju, Korea is occupied by Japan. Thirteen-year-old Miyook is Korean, but she attends a Japanese-controlled school, so she learns the Japanese language and history.
"Two worlds. Two identities. Yes, Japan occupied my country, but not my heart."
Miyook's twin brothers, Hoon and Hwan, are another representation of duality. Miyook, Hwan, and Hwan's Japanese partner Dai own The Hundred Choices department store, but Hoon manages the store.
"Two brothers. Two worlds."
Miyook lives in these two worlds but does everything she can to keep herself, her family, and her heart safe. When she's sent to work in the dye factory, though, she knows her body and her spirit are in danger. Miyook's family sends her away, to Sogha mountain, where she is safe from working for the war efforts.
A Russian invasion, the burning of The Hundred Choices department store, and increased violence causes Apa to flee, but Oma, Miyook, Hwan, and Hoon remain in Sinuiju. . .until Miyook and her brothers are forced to leave the city and run for their lives.
This lyrical book is written in a way that makes you feel as if Miyook is sitting across from you, telling you the story. At times, you want to laugh, reach over and squeeze Miyook's hand, or cry. Always, you want to eat noodle soup like Miyook and Hoon would. :)
This story preserves some of Ginger Park's family history and allows readers to connect with a time they've never lived in and experiences they've never lived through. Miyook's story is one of perseverance, beauty, pain, and resilience. Child readers will see themselves in Miyook and will learn and grow from Miyook's story. What a beautiful gift Ginger Park has given the world.
"Two worlds. Two identities. Yes, Japan occupied my country, but not my heart."
Miyook's twin brothers, Hoon and Hwan, are another representation of duality. Miyook, Hwan, and Hwan's Japanese partner Dai own The Hundred Choices department store, but Hoon manages the store.
"Two brothers. Two worlds."
Miyook lives in these two worlds but does everything she can to keep herself, her family, and her heart safe. When she's sent to work in the dye factory, though, she knows her body and her spirit are in danger. Miyook's family sends her away, to Sogha mountain, where she is safe from working for the war efforts.
A Russian invasion, the burning of The Hundred Choices department store, and increased violence causes Apa to flee, but Oma, Miyook, Hwan, and Hoon remain in Sinuiju. . .until Miyook and her brothers are forced to leave the city and run for their lives.
This lyrical book is written in a way that makes you feel as if Miyook is sitting across from you, telling you the story. At times, you want to laugh, reach over and squeeze Miyook's hand, or cry. Always, you want to eat noodle soup like Miyook and Hoon would. :)
This story preserves some of Ginger Park's family history and allows readers to connect with a time they've never lived in and experiences they've never lived through. Miyook's story is one of perseverance, beauty, pain, and resilience. Child readers will see themselves in Miyook and will learn and grow from Miyook's story. What a beautiful gift Ginger Park has given the world.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 1, 2022
The Hundred Choices Department Store provides readers with an in-depth and authentic window into life in WWII-ravaged Korea as seen through Miyooki, an octogenarian witness and survivor who shares the first hand experiences she collected as a thirteen-year-old living through the traumas of war. Park is miraculously able to capture the full range of Miyooki's experiences in three distinct stages--her life before wartime, her life under the Japanese occupation of her homeland, and her life as the war ends and the Russian military moves in to collect the spoils--despite the novel's length, which is extremely digestible-for-classroom-study. As a twenty year veteran of the middle school classroom, I can tell you right now that Park's novel will find its way into my Grade 8 unit on WWII and its related literature. The Hundred Choices Department Store is a mesmerizing and important read for students in the middle grades and up.
January 18, 2022
Author Ginger Park creates a somber yet hopeful look at a young Korean girl living in a country that passes from one dominating country to another. Miyook and her family do whatever it takes to keep their heads down and survive Japanese and Russian rule which leads to separation, hardship and estrangement. For a book of less than a hundred pages, there is a lot of history played out and readers will learn much about a part of WWII that is sometimes forgotten or glossed over in favor of events like the bombing of Pearl Harbor or The Holocaust. The authenticity of Miyook’s story rings out and for good reason: She is Park’s grandmother and her stories have been passed down within her family for generations. Excellent purchase for those in grades 4-7. Wartime violence is present but is presented in a gore-free and age-appropriate way.
Thanks for the print arc, Ginger Park!
Thanks for the print arc, Ginger Park!
February 27, 2022
4.5 rounded up to 5
This is a book by @GingerPark_ steeped in family and history that is so very needed as a reminder of the ravages of war as well as the importance of small acts of kindness. "Small gestures are never forgotten." #mglit #family #ancestry #war
This is a book by @GingerPark_ steeped in family and history that is so very needed as a reminder of the ravages of war as well as the importance of small acts of kindness. "Small gestures are never forgotten." #mglit #family #ancestry #war
April 8, 2022
The story begins in 1944 during Japan's occupation of Korea. Thirteen-year-old Miyooki's family strongly opposes the Japanese war propaganda she learns in school and send her away to live in the mountains to avoid it. When the war ends, the town celebrates and Miyooki returns home. But soon their community is divided again when Russian soldiers and communist politics arrive. The family decides to flee the north and escape to the south. Bookended by her reflections as an elderly lady in the US, Miyooki tells her family's moving story of bravery and heartbreak during this time war and upheaval.
January 12, 2022
Korea, 1944. This mesmerizing book takes you on the journey of Miyook as Japanese occupy her country. You feel as though you are right there with her experiencing life through her eyes. A book hard to put down. “Japan occupied my country, but not my heart…” A beautiful book. Deserving of five stars!
January 20, 2022
Touching, excellent novel by a v talented author. Read it!
November 4, 2022
This is a short story about a young girl and her family living in Korea though thr Japanese wars. It's beautifully written and told from the pov of a girl who is quickly losing her naivety, which makes the true horrors of the story ever more pronounced as, one by one, she starts losing the small things in life, and then eventually loses most of the big things too.
April 22, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I sat down to read for a little while, and one hour later had finished this amazing book.
I came away with thoughts of family, strength, weakness, love, hate, loyalty, and the fragility of life.
It took an hour of my time, but it will stay with me forever.
I sat down to read for a little while, and one hour later had finished this amazing book.
I came away with thoughts of family, strength, weakness, love, hate, loyalty, and the fragility of life.
It took an hour of my time, but it will stay with me forever.
June 5, 2022
A beautiful window into a history I knew precious little about. Miyooki is so real and true I feel as though she is a friend.
April 13, 2022
An adventurous story with a unique perspective from the point of view of a young Korean girl and her family during wartimes; based upon the life experience of the author's mother who lived through it. The read pulls you into the contrasting expectations that others have based upon your ethnicity, age, sex, and status. It forces conformancy based upon who is in control at the time and with their values. The book describes the survivalistic means to keep out of the conflict of where you live, or are forced to live. After all, it isn't a wanted conflict and people just want to live a 'normal' life. The powers that be make this a challenge. It correlates to the plights that many people have had to endure during the numerous conflicts in the world over time. It is so relatable for many who have had to flee their home, leaving almost everything behind to seek refuge. It also finds space for those moments of enjoyment, even under bad circumstances. Not a silver lining, maybe just a bit of color in such gray times. Hope, memories, and experience; it is what people must live with for the rest of their lives. It isn't a loss of your home due to fire or natural disaster; it is a loss due to conflict. And while some of these are comparable, the devastation cuts to the bone when your very life hangs by a Gossamer Thread. I highly recommend reading this book! Written for all ages, especially children!
February 8, 2022
A solid historical fiction book marred by ethnic slurs and ableist stereotypes.
December 5, 2022
This is an odd little book that traces the life of a Korean Christian family immediately following the end of WW2. The reader gets a taste of the turmoil created when both Americans and Russians wanted to stake their claim in Korea and the Japanese were retreating. I cringed as I read it when the author uses ethnic slurs to describe the Japanese, but it is reflective of the times and the feelings of the Korean people whose culture the Japanese tried to erase. For those readers who are unaware of this history this book is an important look at those times.
I felt the book was a little choppy, but I loved the description of their lives. I would imagine that most readers hope for a follow up volume!
I felt the book was a little choppy, but I loved the description of their lives. I would imagine that most readers hope for a follow up volume!
January 15, 2023
This book is meant for young adults and probably middle grade so it was a fast read for me. The story is based on the author's mother's life in Korea during the Japanese Occupation and when the Russians took over during WWII. It is well-written and grips the attention, with a bittersweet ending. While fictionalized, this story tells truth that needs to be saved. The term "Jap" is used a lot, particularly by an angry brother, and it could have been used more sparingly, but that was realistic for the times to refer to the enemy like that. Since this book was intended for a young audience it would have been nice to have an explanation about that written into the story.
October 26, 2023
I got this book from Chocolate Chocolate, the author's family chocolate store. They sell all of her books, so I thought I would try one. I really liked it. The book is short, but for such a short book, the author does a good job of character development of the main character, where you feel like you know her. The main thing I liked was the history of Korea during the second world war and the beginning of the Korean war. I don't know much about Korean history, and this was a fascinating, if not heartbreaking, look into how the wars affected the people.
September 14, 2024
When I read the title I thought of a cozy short story about a Korean store. But nooo . . . (This is what I usually get when I have no idea what the story is about. An element of surprise.)
A short story indeed that packed a hundredful of emotions. I was getting through that rollercoaster of feels and then the Epilogue came. I must say everything was narrated truly well and the emotions, questions of life from a little girl’s view, everything was well written.
I need a moment to savor everything.
Truly woke up my heart with this one.
😸😸😸
A short story indeed that packed a hundredful of emotions. I was getting through that rollercoaster of feels and then the Epilogue came. I must say everything was narrated truly well and the emotions, questions of life from a little girl’s view, everything was well written.
I need a moment to savor everything.
Truly woke up my heart with this one.
😸😸😸
January 29, 2023
This book covers a part of history that I was never taught about. It's probably a good introduction to what happened to Korea for older kids.
Unfortunately, I didn't really like the writing. I didn't feel like we got to know any of the characters, least of all Miyooki, which meant that I didn't care all that much about what happened to her or her family. There was also a lot more Christianity than I was expecting, which is not something I enjoy in my books.
Unfortunately, I didn't really like the writing. I didn't feel like we got to know any of the characters, least of all Miyooki, which meant that I didn't care all that much about what happened to her or her family. There was also a lot more Christianity than I was expecting, which is not something I enjoy in my books.
June 29, 2023
Interesting book about occupation of Korea by Japan at the end of WW2 with North Korea taking over. I found this book at a chocolate shop in Washington DC run by the author. The very short book is her mother’s story.
April 30, 2024
I love this book so so much. It tells you about the Japanese invasion of Korea through the lens of a young girl. I was completely immersed in her narrative and could not put the book down. Highly recommend - I hope there was more !!
October 27, 2022
E ARC provided by Edleweiss or Netgalley
December 2, 2024
A brief look at the life of one family during the less known (in the US) occupation of Vietnam by Japan and the pawn war after. Sad but hopeful.
June 7, 2022
An unexpected book which I gladly found in my e-library and there's no any words to describe but amazing, show-stopping, marvelous and certainly deserve five out of five stars (Goodreads didn't do her justice).
The author described the situation from the eyes of a teenager; a crucial point, I have to add because we could feel more of the emergency, confusion and uncertainty on how the future will be and what will happened to her family after the war ended (or it might be never ended); the unwillingness to let go and move on to a new steps of her life. All of that is pretty much relatable with all of us, even though we faced a different kind of war in our life.
Storyline, characters, theme and the most important, the ending; everything is a plus point. I pretty much in love with how the author could make us feel that family bond between Miyook and her brothers, with her mother and father (the departed train scene almost made me bawled my eyes out) and her nanny (though I felt like she was a second mother to her). It's pretty rare for me to connect emotionally with family bond trope in a novel due to personal reason but Miyook and her family made me feel things.
Though it may not be the way I hope it ended, but I still feel satisfied as a reader.
I certainly recommended this book if you're a fan of historical fiction or if you're a fan of family bond trope
The author described the situation from the eyes of a teenager; a crucial point, I have to add because we could feel more of the emergency, confusion and uncertainty on how the future will be and what will happened to her family after the war ended (or it might be never ended); the unwillingness to let go and move on to a new steps of her life. All of that is pretty much relatable with all of us, even though we faced a different kind of war in our life.
Storyline, characters, theme and the most important, the ending; everything is a plus point. I pretty much in love with how the author could make us feel that family bond between Miyook and her brothers, with her mother and father (the departed train scene almost made me bawled my eyes out) and her nanny (though I felt like she was a second mother to her). It's pretty rare for me to connect emotionally with family bond trope in a novel due to personal reason but Miyook and her family made me feel things.
Though it may not be the way I hope it ended, but I still feel satisfied as a reader.
I certainly recommended this book if you're a fan of historical fiction or if you're a fan of family bond trope
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