"Year of Impossible Goodbyes" By: Sook Nyul Choi

The Year of Impossible Goodbyes was a great book to read, especially after reading So Far From the Bamboo Grove. It told the story from the perspective of a Korean girl living in North Korea during WWII. As a Korean during this time period Sookan and her family had to follow very strict rules, and were constantly under the orders and watch of the Japanese soldiers. Sookan's family ran a sock factory that was closely watched by the Japanese soldiers. They had to make socks for the Japanese army otherwise they were seriously punished for not helping the Japanese war effort. Sookan and Inchun, her younger brother, made it a long time without having to go to the Japanese schools. During the last year of the war they were ordered to attend the school. At school the students had to hail, sing songs, and recite lines all praising the Japanese. The students had to speak Japanese, and were scolded and beaten if they spoke Korean. Even after the war the Koreans weren't free. Even though the Japanese moved out of the towns after the war, The Russians moved in, and forced them to join the communist "Mother Russia". The Russians were very strict, and killed those who tried to flea to South Korea. But with help from a family friend, Kisa, Sookan, Inchun, and their mother had help fleaing North Korea, but not everything went as planned.
I thought this book was really interesting. And after reading it I have a much better understanding about the relationships between Japan and Korea. I was never aware that Japan had so much power over Korea. I also have a better understanding of WWII because I know that the Jews weren't the only group who suffered from this war.
In addition to being a very resourceful book I thought it was very well written. Sookan's writing is easy to read, and her story is very interresting. When I first picked this book up I hadn't really thought about its title. After finishing this book its clear that no other title would fit this book quitte right. The book is told from Sookan's perspective when she was a child. This makes the book very interesting because the events are explained based only on the knowledge she had at the time. For example, when the sock ladies were taken away by the Japanese soldiers Sookan didn't know where they were sent. In the book it was clear to Sookan's mother and Aunt that the sock ladies were being taken to a much worse job than the sock factory. While this information was very obvious to the adults, Sookan was left in the dark. These parts of the book help the reader understand that Sookan was just a child going through the chaos of war.
I thought this was a really interesting book, and I love the idea of pairing it with So Far From the Bamboo Grove. These two books make a great combo because there are multiple sides to every story.