Another epic tale to my shelf; was a bit intimidated because of the thickness yet the whole journey of delving into this multi-generational lives with its historical backdrop gets me both enthralled and heartwrenched. It was so intricately narrated, quite dense with its back and forth timelines but having those charms of thrill and entrancing drama with its familial, lifestyle and slice-of-life backdrops.

I followed Yi Jino in the present narrative—a laid-off worker who stages a months-long sit-in atop of a sixteen-story factory chimney in protest to the injustice he and other industrial labourers received—reminiscing and wandering his thoughts on the past; of how his ancestors fought to be free from oppression and overwhelming forced during the Japanese occupation and wartime. From Great Grandfather Baekman to Grandfather Ilcheol and his dad Jisan who worked as a railroad worker (an absorbing connection of how Mater 2-10 related to this) during the colonization period, Jino brought me to explore and observe the trials and tribulations of the people who has to face the political conflicts, economic stress, cultural change, discrimination and forced labors while living on their own land.

Neat and lyrical folktale prose with almost well crafted dynamic for the characters— love the author’s poignant way in expressing their perspectives and emotional distress. Bit surreal for how it involved on cultural and mystical beliefs—an appealing narrative for Geumi and Mageum for this as well for Jino who was drowned in his hallucinations while living on the chimney. Loving Grandfather Ilcheol’s part the most of how it was narrated with a gripping gaze on the liberation movement with those episodes of suffering, desperation and the desire to fight.

It took the author almost 30 years to finally made this factually inspired story into a book; lengthy and descriptive yet too well-written for me. A great historical reflection and memories of a homeland, so emphatically moving overall. Totally a must read to historical fic fans. 4.3 stars to this!

“They say history repeats itself. That seems to be true no matter how much the world, and all the people in it change…”

Thank you Pansing Distribution for sending me a copy to review!