"Would you believe I read this 400-page epic story about war and love across decades of South Korea’s history in a single sitting? A debut novel that opens with a tiger encounter in the snowy mountains, it’s a twist on historical fiction that roars with life." — Entertainment Weekly, “Must List”
"Unrequited love, class warfare, scandal...this novel has it all." — Real Simple, a Best Book of 2021
“You wouldn’t know from reading it that "Beasts of a Little Land" is Kim’s debut novel. There is no shortage of ambition on display here, and fleet-footed narrative pacing to match it…. A book written with warmth [and] wisdom.” — USA Today
“Accomplished.... As the paths of her characters twist and cross and their fortunes rise and fall, [Kim] keeps the weight of the personal and political in perfect balance. Beasts of a Little Land is epic in range but intimate in emotional depth, sure to appeal to readers of historical fiction who prize a well-wrought character.” — BookPage
"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." — Harper’s Bazaar, a Best Book of 2021
"Assured and textured debut...following a cast of characters whose fates are molded and linked together by the country’s political forces and who, in the face of colonialism, violence and severe injustice, carve out spaces to live and love." — New York Times Book Review
"Kim delivers one of the dazzling debuts of the year with this epic story." — E! Online
"In Juhea Kim’s debut novel, the land may be small but the scope is immense, as in a grand Russian novel complete with battlefields, intergenerational legacies and snarled love affairs... Everyone is extraordinary, a singular beast in exceptional times, and in Kim’s capable hands this liberty pays off....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." — TLS
“[Beasts of a Little Land ] is epic in scope, but it's also filled with intimate language and moments.” — NPR
"Absorbing, sweeping.... Throughout the novel, observations about world politics remind readers of that greater history.... Complex and interesting characters." — Los Angeles Times
"Powerful, romantic and wholly unforgettable." — Ms., a Best Book of 2021
"A potent and immersive reading experience, alive to the particulars of its place and time. Intimate but politically resonant, it’s perfect for fans of Min Jin Lee and Isabelle Allende." — Chicago Review of Books
"We see what each of these characters is willing to risk or sacrifice, whether for survival or some other purpose...remarkable." — Ploughshares
“Gorgeous…. This transporting and elegant tale of complicated characters whose lives intertwine during the Korean independence movement of the early twentieth century is not to be missed.” — Departures
"[A] rich sweep of a story [s]et during the decades of Japan’s brutal takeover of Korea... 'People are brave in different ways,' affirms Jade’s lifelong admirer JungHo, a sentiment that infuses the book." — Christian Science Monitor
“Beautiful…. The writing has a dreamlike quality that immerses the reader in a fascinating world….. Not only is this a gorgeously written story, but Kim also gives us insight into a historical period with which many Westerners will be unfamiliar.” — Historical Novels Review, Editor's Choice
"For fans of far-reaching epic sagas that pinpoint human experience, readers will relish the narrative that chronicles the lives of the characters from childhood through old age, reminding us that although different, our lives are all connected by our fears, hopes and the quest for steadfast love." — Book Trib
“An epic novel brings complex 20th-century Korean history to life…. Extraordinary…. Gorgeous prose and unforgettable characters combine to make a literary masterpiece.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“A magnificent, mesmerizing story of love and war...an evocative and emotive historical novel...characters are so sensitively and carefully drawn that even the 'enemy' can be seen to have a human side. Cinematic in its scope, this is the type of novel that the reader finishes both with pleasure (for its satisfying dénouement and pleasing circularity) and sadness (at having to leave the story behind)." — New Internationalist
“Kim’s debut novel wondrously reveals broken families and surprising alliances created by uncontrollable circumstances…. [A] richly alluring and significant first novel.” — Booklist (starred review)
“Captivating…. The times the characters must survive are often violent and harsh, but they maintain a surprising tenderheartedness, along with a deep need for love and purpose. Readers should expect to be swept along themselves by the waves of passion and tragedy that make the novel so appealing.” — Shelf Awareness (starred review)
"Beasts of a Little Land is a stunning chronicle of the Korean peninsula during the tumultuous decades leading to independence and partition. Told through the lives of a rich cast of characters—courtesans, Japanese generals, and revolutionaries—whose stories intertwine in the most unexpected ways, it is by turns political and sensual, epic and intimate. It is also a profound meditation on place; Kim evokes the urban and natural landscapes of Korea with transporting beauty. This novel will devastate you and then still you with its wise meditations on love and loss. I couldn’t put it down." — Alexis Schaitkin, author of Saint X
"Beasts of a Little Land is as much a story of love—requited, unrequited, imperfect, fleeting, dogged, romantic, platonic, familial—and the knocks of time on our bodies and spirits as it is about a moment in history for one country struggling against colonialism." — Portland Monthly
"With marvelous prose and immersive storytelling, “Beasts of a Little Land” shows that Juhea Kim is an author to watch. You won’t be able to put this book down." — Apartment Therapy
“[A] dreamy, intense debut…. The prose is ravishing and Kim demonstrates remarkable control of a complicated narrative. Even those with little knowledge of Korean history will come away struck by the way individuals shape and are shaped by the political and cultural changes of the first half of the 20th century.” — Publishers Weekly
“Beasts of a Little Land is an emotional, raw, and moving novel about friendship and the struggle for Korean independence. It is a novel unlike anything I've read. Most importantly, though, it is a novel about love. Juhea Kim writes beautifully in a way that makes it difficult to put this novel down. I loved it.” — Brandon Hobson, National Book Award finalist and author of The Removed
“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.” — Lisa See, author of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
"In Beasts of a Little Land , Juhea Kim has created a magical, intricate and compelling world in which readers will be enchanted and swept away by unforgettable journeys of survival, hope, and love. This is historical fiction at its very best!" — Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, internationally best-selling author of The Mountains Sing
“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.” — Catherine Chung, author of The Tenth Muse
"Elegant and wise, lush and immersive, Beasts of a Little Land is Tolstoyan in its sweep and ambition as it brings to life the Korean struggle against Japanese occupation and the making of a modern nation in the first half of the 20th century. Juhea Kim is a conjurer of rare ability whose magnificent debut utterly enchants." — Keija Parssinen, author of The Unraveling of Mercy Louis
"Jade is a courtesan, sold into the trade by her family when starvation is the only other option for her. JungHo is a beggar on the streets of Seoul. Together, they are the compelling protagonists of an exciting debut that takes us through a vast arc of 20th-century Korean history, lending an achingly human lens to sweeping historic events that still reverberate today." — Globe and Mail (Toronto)
"Kim delivers one of the dazzling debuts of the year with this epic story."
"Absorbing, sweeping.... Throughout the novel, observations about world politics remind readers of that greater history.... Complex and interesting characters."
"In Juhea Kim’s debut novel, the land may be small but the scope is immense, as in a grand Russian novel complete with battlefields, intergenerational legacies and snarled love affairs... Everyone is extraordinary, a singular beast in exceptional times, and in Kim’s capable hands this liberty pays off....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."
[Beasts of a Little Land ] is epic in scope, but it's also filled with intimate language and moments.
"Would you believe I read this 400-page epic story about war and love across decades of South Korea’s history in a single sitting? A debut novel that opens with a tiger encounter in the snowy mountains, it’s a twist on historical fiction that roars with life."
"Unrequited love, class warfare, scandal...this novel has it all."
"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."
"Powerful, romantic and wholly unforgettable."
You wouldn’t know from reading it that "Beasts of a Little Land" is Kim’s debut novel. There is no shortage of ambition on display here, and fleet-footed narrative pacing to match it…. A book written with warmth [and] wisdom.
Accomplished.... As the paths of her characters twist and cross and their fortunes rise and fall, [Kim] keeps the weight of the personal and political in perfect balance. Beasts of a Little Land is epic in range but intimate in emotional depth, sure to appeal to readers of historical fiction who prize a well-wrought character.
"Absorbing, sweeping.... Throughout the novel, observations about world politics remind readers of that greater history.... Complex and interesting characters."
You wouldn’t know from reading it that "Beasts of a Little Land" is Kim’s debut novel. There is no shortage of ambition on display here, and fleet-footed narrative pacing to match it…. A book written with warmth [and] wisdom.
Gorgeous…. This transporting and elegant tale of complicated characters whose lives intertwine during the Korean independence movement of the early twentieth century is not to be missed.
"A potent and immersive reading experience, alive to the particulars of its place and time. Intimate but politically resonant, it’s perfect for fans of Min Jin Lee and Isabelle Allende."
"This kaleidoscopic debut is powerful, romantic and wholly unforgettable."
Beautiful…. The writing has a dreamlike quality that immerses the reader in a fascinating world….. Not only is this a gorgeously written story, but Kim also gives us insight into a historical period with which many Westerners will be unfamiliar.
Kim’s debut novel wondrously reveals broken families and surprising alliances created by uncontrollable circumstances…. [A] richly alluring and significant first novel.
Booklist (starred review)
"Beasts of a Little Land is a stunning chronicle of the Korean peninsula during the tumultuous decades leading to independence and partition. Told through the lives of a rich cast of characters—courtesans, Japanese generals, and revolutionaries—whose stories intertwine in the most unexpected ways, it is by turns political and sensual, epic and intimate. It is also a profound meditation on place; Kim evokes the urban and natural landscapes of Korea with transporting beauty. This novel will devastate you and then still you with its wise meditations on love and loss. I couldn’t put it down."
"Beasts of a Little Land is as much a story of love—requited, unrequited, imperfect, fleeting, dogged, romantic, platonic, familial—and the knocks of time on our bodies and spirits as it is about a moment in history for one country struggling against colonialism."
Beasts of a Little Land is an emotional, raw, and moving novel about friendship and the struggle for Korean independence. It is a novel unlike anything I've read. Most importantly, though, it is a novel about love. Juhea Kim writes beautifully in a way that makes it difficult to put this novel down. I loved it.
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.
"In Beasts of a Little Land , Juhea Kim has created a magical, intricate and compelling world in which readers will be enchanted and swept away by unforgettable journeys of survival, hope, and love. This is historical fiction at its very best!"
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.
"Jade is a courtesan, sold into the trade by her family when starvation is the only other option for her. JungHo is a beggar on the streets of Seoul. Together, they are the compelling protagonists of an exciting debut that takes us through a vast arc of 20th-century Korean history, lending an achingly human lens to sweeping historic events that still reverberate today."
"Elegant and wise, lush and immersive, Beasts of a Little Land is Tolstoyan in its sweep and ambition as it brings to life the Korean struggle against Japanese occupation and the making of a modern nation in the first half of the 20th century. Juhea Kim is a conjurer of rare ability whose magnificent debut utterly enchants."
07/01/2021
Kim's debut sweeps through 20th-century Korean history, from a starving hunter rescuing a young Japanese officer from a tiger attack in 1917 to the sale of little Jade to Miss Silver's courtesan school by her downtrodden family to Jade's befriending an orphan boy named JungHo. When the fight for Korean independence arrives, JungHo joins in, and Jade—now an admired performer with a nobleman as a romantic possibility—must make hard choices. Billed as good reading for fans of Min Jin Lee, Lisa See, and Isabel Allende, which recommends it for a crossover audience of literary and pop fiction readers; with a 100,000-copy first printing.
Narrator Sue Jean Kim’s careful, measured performance does not enhance this intricate debut novel spanning twentieth-century Korean history. Among the large cast of characters is Jade, who is sold into the life of a courtesan, and JungHo, a poor orphan living in Seoul. They meet as children, and their paths continue to cross at various points throughout the story. Despite Kim’s best attempts to inject emotion and inflection into conversations and tense scenes, the story’s frequently changing point of view creates challenging listening, especially with Kim narrating the majority of the audiobook. Raymond Lee makes a brief appearance, narrating one chapter from a rare first-person perspective, which offers a short respite. This sprawling story would have benefited from additional narrators. V.T.M. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
Narrator Sue Jean Kim’s careful, measured performance does not enhance this intricate debut novel spanning twentieth-century Korean history. Among the large cast of characters is Jade, who is sold into the life of a courtesan, and JungHo, a poor orphan living in Seoul. They meet as children, and their paths continue to cross at various points throughout the story. Despite Kim’s best attempts to inject emotion and inflection into conversations and tense scenes, the story’s frequently changing point of view creates challenging listening, especially with Kim narrating the majority of the audiobook. Raymond Lee makes a brief appearance, narrating one chapter from a rare first-person perspective, which offers a short respite. This sprawling story would have benefited from additional narrators. V.T.M. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
★ 2021-08-04
In this extraordinary historical novel, debut author Kim weaves together the story of friends and rivals trying to survive and thrive from the era of the Japanese occupation of Korea to the political purges of the mid-20th century. The book begins with a Korean hunter encountering a tiger in the snow when he is captured by a lost squad of Japanese soldiers. With its near-mythic evocations of several kinds of beasts, the prologue establishes the themes of the book. The majority of the novel follows Jade, whose impoverished farming family sends her as a young girl to work as a servant for a courtesan. Jade observes the rivalries of other girls in training, particularly Luna, the spoiled favored daughter of the head of the household, and Lotus, the spirited but plainer younger sister. Thanks to her intelligence and resourcefulness, Jade will grow up to become a celebrated courtesan and movie star in Seoul, where she and the two sisters end up as adults. Together they encounter various men, including the revolution-minded MyungBo, an intellectual fighting for Korean independence; the ever loyal JungHo, the leader of a street gang of orphaned boys; the slick and wealthy patron SungSoo; and the ambitious rickshaw driver HanChol. Jade, Luna, and Lotus fall in love with men from very different backgrounds, but their love and loyalty are not always returned. Kim shows clearly how patriarchy harms these resourceful women in one of the novel's major themes. Late in the book a Japanese general will remark, "How such enormous beasts have flourished in this little land is incomprehensible." He is referring to tigers, but he might as well be talking about the humans who fight here, too.
Gorgeous prose and unforgettable characters combine to make a literary masterpiece.
