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My thoughts

4/5 stars Fill your mind with knowledge—it’s the only kind of power no one can take away from you. There is so much that happens in this book, it is literally a story of a family over multiple years. But the most heart-wrenching bit is about the struggles of the Koreans being treated as second-class citizens in Japan and their history of having to flee their hometown. If you are someone who doesn't like long-drawn family type historical fiction, then maybe skip this but if you love reading some honest historical perspective on things or if you want to read about some amazing sisterhood between Kyunghee and Sunja or just read about women working really hard even in the most difficult times and trying to make the best of the situation at hand, then please pick this up. No this is not a book you finish in one sitting, no there is no big revelation at the end. This is a story you enjoy bit by bit, you devour slowly, ​and somewhere along the way you become really attached to the characters and start rooting for them! This book is a whole journey where you will laugh, cry, scream and sometimes just want to go and give the characters a long hug. living every day in the presence of those who refuse to acknowledge your humanity takes great courage. TWs for the book-racism, sexism, pedophilia, mention of war and bombing, suicide, violence, mention of domestic abuse, alcoholism, mention of substance abuse