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White Chrysanthemum by Mary Lynn Bracht

Meeting date: May 22, 2018 ;
Star rating: 4/5 stars

Korea, 1943. Hana has lived her entire life under Japanese occupation. As a haenyeo, a female diver of the sea, she enjoys an independence that few other Koreans can still claim. Until the day Hana saves her younger sister from a Japanese soldier and is herself captured and transported to Manchuria. There she is forced to become a “comfort woman” in a Japanese military brothel. But haenyeo are women of power and strength. She will find her way home.

South Korea, 2011. Emi has spent more than sixty years trying to forget the sacrifice her sister made, but she must confront the past to discover peace. Seeing the healing of her children and her country, can Emi move beyond the legacy of war to find forgiveness?

Suspenseful, hopeful, and ultimately redemptive, White Chrysanthemum tells a story of two sisters whose love for each other is strong enough to triumph over the grim evils of war.

Comments from attendees:
  • Beautiful story! The connection these sisters have tugged at our hearts.
  • The historical aspects were well researched and completely believable.
  • Many attendees did not know about "comfort women" and the acts they endured. It was illuminating and devastating.
  • Hana's selfless sacrifice for her younger sister, and the fact that she never blamed her sister for her circumstances, makes Hana our favorite character. We were completely invested in her story!
  • We cannot recommend this book enough. Multiple attendees already gave it to others to read before our meeting.  
Lowest rating: 2
Highest rating: 5

Book Club Kit (courtesy of Penguin Random House)


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