Beasts of a Little Land

'Beasts of a Little Land is a stunning achievement. Juhea Kim wrestles with the chaos of a half-century of love, idealism, war and violence, and does so with courage and wisdom.'

'Full of Korean myth and historical detail, it’s an immersive read for a long weekend.'

'This is historical fiction at its very best! I am astonished by Juhea's talent.'

'Stunning... Profound... This novel will devastate you and then still you with its wise meditations on love and loss. I couldn’t put it down.'

'Juhea Kim's sweeping debut is pure reading pleasure. Rapturous, ravishing, and gorgeously rendered, Beasts of a Little Land is a portal to a whole world teeming with life, so full of wonders I wanted it never to end.'

'Beasts of a Little Land is a heartbreaking story rendered mythic by Kim’s gorgeous prose.' 

'A magnificent, mesmerizing story of love and war… Cinematic in its scope, this is the type of novel that the reader finishes both with pleasure (for its satisfying denouement and pleasing circularity) and with sadness (at having to leave the story behind).'

'Some people say that all stories are about either love or war. Set against the backdrop of early 20th-century Korea, Kim’s epic debut novel is about both.'

'Covering most of the twentieth century across the Korean peninsula, Kim’s debut novel wondrously reveals broken families and surprising alliances created by uncontrollable circumstances. Kim creates multiple narrative prongs, effortlessly navigating overlaps and disconnects... Richly alluring and significant.'

'Gorgeous prose and unforgettable characters combine to make a literary masterpiece.'

'In Beasts of a Little Land, Juhea Kim has taken the concept of inyeon – human thread – to weave a beautiful story in which human connections and encounters are preordained. She explores the ideas of fate, fortune, and destiny against the backdrop of the great turbulence and historic events that transpired on the Korean peninsula during the twentieth century. A spectacular debut filled with great characters and heart.'

'Kim's dreamy, intense debut is both a sure-footed historical account of the Korean struggle for independence from Japan and the emotionally fraught story of several people whose lives are inextricably tied together... The prose is ravishing.'