This is truly a remarkable book
chronicling the story of a family during the Japanese occupation of Korea before and during WWII that will appeal to young readers. The Japanese
strip the people of use of their language, their cultural symbols, their control of their country and their jobs, and even
tells them to change their names to Japanese names. This book tells in first
person the story of 10-year-old Sun-hee and her brother, 13-year-old Tae-yul. It is like reading their diary. They tell about school, their
home life and customs, how they play, and how the war affects their entire family. School Library Journal says, “They describe the hardships
their family is forced to face as Japan becomes enmeshed in World War II and detail their individual struggles to understand
what is happening. Tension mounts as Uncle, working with the Korean resistance movement, goes into hiding, and Tae-yul takes
a drastic step that he feels is necessary to protect the family.” Booklist adds, “There's also family conflict, especially about the submissive role of a young girl: does
she disobey her father for the good of her country?”
Ms. Park does a
magnificent job of weaving factual historical facts into an interesting, action packed narrative. The style of writing is unique. The book has chapters which
alternate between the girl, Sun-hee, and the boy, Tae-yul, speaking in first person.
Sometimes the same events are described but from different viewpoints. Much
of the time they feel the same way. Publishers
Weekly says, “Through the use of the shifting narrators, Park subtly points up the differences between male and
female roles in Korean society.” Booklist
says, “The drama is in the facts about the war, and Park does a fine job of showing how the politics of the occupation
and resistance affect ordinary people.”
This well-researched historical
novel is accompanied by an author's note that explains what happened to Korea after WWII, where she found many of her ideas
for the book (from her own family), and a bibliography to entice interested readers into learning more about a topic largely
unknown to American audiences. Publishers
Weekly says, “Readers will come away with an appreciation of this period of history and likely a greater interest
in learning more about it.” School
Library Journal says, “This beautifully crafted and moving novel joins a small but growing body of literature, such
as Haemi Balgassi's Peacebound Trains (Clarion, 1996) and Sook Nyul Choi's The Year of Impossible Goodbyes (Houghton, 1991),
that expands readers' understanding of this period.”
Rochman,
Hazel. Review of When My Name Was Keoko in
Booklist.
Available
from:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/0440419441/ref=dp_item-information_1/103-2041485-5145439?%5Fencoding=UTF8&n=283155. Accessed 10
November 2004
Scotto, Barbara. Review of When My Name Was Keoko in School Library Journal. Available from:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/0440419441/ref=dp_item-information_1/103-2041485-5145439?%5Fencoding=UTF8&n=283155. Accessed 10
November 2004
Review of
When My Name Was Keoko in Publishers Weekly.
Available from:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/0440419441/ref=dp_item-information_1/103-2041485-5145439?%5Fencoding=UTF8&n=283155. Accessed 10
November 2004
