Books › Year of impossible goodbyes
Year of impossible goodbyes
First published 1991 · 176 pages
A harrowing yet deeply hopeful testament to a family's unbreakable spirit in the face of historical devastation.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like holding a fragile but fiercely glowing ember in the dark. The narrative moves at a steady, deliberate pace, immersing you in the suffocating atmosphere of military occupation before accelerating into a tense, heart-in-mouth escape. The prose is clear and unadorned, allowing the raw emotional weight of the protagonist's experiences to shine through without melodrama. It is a deeply poignant experience, balancing the grim realities of cultural erasure and family separation with profound moments of resilience and familial love. Perfect for readers who appreciate historical fiction that centers on the quiet courage of ordinary people, this story leaves a lasting impression of hope and the enduring strength of the human spirit.
- Mood
- oppressive
- tense
- poignant
- hopeful
- Tone
- earnest
- somber
- resilient
- reflective
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- family resilience · loss of innocence · cultural erasure · the cost of freedom · enduring hope
- The writing
- Clear, accessible, and deeply empathetic, prioritizing emotional truth over stylistic flourish.
- The arc
- Moves from suffocating oppression and quiet endurance to terrifying peril and ultimately, bittersweet liberation.
- Who it's for
- Readers drawn to powerful, true-to-life stories of historical survival, family bonds, and young protagonists facing unimaginable odds.
Content notes
- war themes
- oppression and occupation
- family separation
- forced labor
- deprivation and starvation
About the book
A young Korean girl survives the oppressive Japanese and Russian occupation of North Korea during the 1940s, to later escape to freedom in South Korea.
It is 1945, and courageous ten-year-old Sookan and her family must endure the cruelties of the Japanese military occupying Korea. Police captain Narita does his best to destroy everything of value to the family, but he cannot break their spirit. Sookan's father is with the resistance movement in Manchuria and her older brothers have been sent away to labor camps. Her mother is forced to supervise a sock factory and Sookan herself must wear a uniform and attend a Japanese school.
Then the war ends. Out come the colorful Korean silks and bags of white rice. But Communist Russian troops have taken control of North Korea and once again the family is suppressed. Sookan and her family know their only hope for freedom lies in a dangerous escape to American controlled South Korea.
Here is the incredible story of one family's love for each other and their determination to risk everything to find freedom.
Description from Open Library.
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