I'm not sure that, at almost any point in this book after the arrival at Jeju island, I knew what was going on. But, it is a testament to Kang's writing, that even with no clue what was real and what wasn't, this is still an incredibly powerful, moving, and altogether beautiful book. I know very little about the history of South Korea, and even less about the history of jeju island. This book does an incredible job of explaining the atrocities that took place from the April uprising onwards, but captures them in the tale of survivors. Of escapees and relatives, desperately seeking for their family, either in flesh or in bone. This story makes you question and reconsider family and relationships. How much do we really know about what our parents and grandparents have been through. I was left with many questions, not least of which being - is Ama actually alive?

I got a copy of this through NetGalley so was very excited to have an early read. I always find Han Kang books challenging on an intellectual level so this was no different. What she also does beautifully though is retain the narrative element of the book. At the end of the day there is a story and one you become invested in very quickly.

We Do Not Part by Han Kang is a haunting and lyrical read set in contemporary South Korea. The novel begins as we follow Kyungha, who travels from the city of Seoul to the forests of Jeju Island, and the home of her friend Inseon. Her friend has been hospitalised following an accident in her workshop and she calls Kyungha to beg her to visit and save her beloved pet bird. This mission sets Kyungha out on a journey towards a snowstorm and a surprising decent into darkness and memory. The long-buried secrets of Inseon’s family history await, discovered in dreams and visions, that include the terrible massacre that took place on the island seventy years earlier. It is a novel of friendship, connection, imagination and both remembering and forgetting. The prose is beautiful, tender and all the sharper for its clarity. The book is carefully paced and felt realistic in its portrayal of how the past and its secrets are slowly revealed and passed between generations. Kyungha and Inseon are both artists and documentarians looking to tell and record the stories of the past and this book felt like a perfect construction of their vision and narratives. Heartbreaking and fantastical, Han Kang is a skilled and powerful writer and this book is a beautiful translation of her work 4.25 Stars ✨.

A lyrical and exquisite exploration of atrocities in South Korea. This novel was just beautiful with a dreamlike quality. The novel explores the massacre which occurred on an island off the coast of South Korea through the friendship of two women and the efforts of those who are left behind to discover those they lost. The author’s writing is deceptively simple and the images she paints will haunt me.

I have been in awe of Han Kang for a few years, ever since I stumbled upon The Vegetarian. I'm also a huge fan of Human Acts - but my favourite by far is the White Book. The day I received the ARC for this book was the day Han Kang was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. She truly, truly deserves it. When I said this book is difficult, I truly meant it. You can choose to read this book on the surface level but then you are pulled into the deep metaphors, the heart-breaking imagery and the echoes of history. I don't want to say much more because I'll spoil it. I found this book hard. It makes us confront difficult parts of history and makes us deal with grief in a way that not author has ever done previously.