Beasts of a Little Land

A Novel

By: Juhea Kim

Narrated by: Sue Jean Kim, Raymond Lee

""A spectacular debut filled with great characters and heart.” —Lisa See, author of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

FINALIST FOR THE 2022 DAYTON LITERARY PEACE PRIZE · FINALIST FOR THE BALCONES FICTION PRIZE · LONGLISTED FOR THE HWA DEBUT CROWN AWARD

An epic story of love, war, and redemption set against the backdrop of the Korean independence movement, following the intertwined fates of a young girl sold to a courtesan school and the penniless son of a hunter

In 1917, deep in the snowy mountains of occupied Korea, an impoverished local hunter on the brink of starvation saves a young Japanese officer from an attacking tiger. In an instant, their fates are connected—and from this encounter unfolds a saga that spans half a century.

In the aftermath, a young girl named Jade is sold by her family to Miss Silver’s courtesan school, an act of desperation that will cement her place in the lowest social status. When she befriends an orphan boy named JungHo, who scrapes together a living begging on the streets of Seoul, they form a deep friendship. As they come of age, JungHo is swept up in the revolutionary fight for independence, and Jade becomes a sought-after performer with a new romantic prospect of noble birth. Soon Jade must decide whether she will risk everything for the one who would do the same for her.

From the perfumed chambers of a courtesan school in Pyongyang to the glamorous cafes of a modernizing Seoul and the boreal forests of Manchuria, where battles rage, Juhea Kim’s unforgettable characters forge their own destinies as they wager their nation’s. Immersive and elegant, Beasts of a Little Land unveils a world where friends become enemies, enemies become saviors, heroes are persecuted, and beasts take many shapes.

A Recommended Read from: USA Today · The Washington Post · Entertainment Weekly · The Today Show · Real Simple · Good Morning America · Harper's Bazaar · Buzzfeed · Fortune · Vulture · Goodreads · Lit Hub · Book Riot · PopSugar · E! Online · Ms. Magazine · Chicago Review of Books · Bustle · The Oregonian · The Millions

Heartbreakingly beautiful

This story was beautifully told. I thank the writer for creating this story without glossing over history.

Great characters and storytelling

I enjoyed it a lot. Great history of Korea buried in the stories of a courtesan and a street urchin.

Just what I needed

I found this book on a quest for some historical fiction with beauty in the writing and a little magic in the story. There isn't a lot of "magic," aside from the legend in the first chapter, but still has its own subtle magic that kept me captivated. The reading was wonderful, too, especially Sue Jean Kim. The perspectives are unique, illuminating, and yet familiar, which is my fiction sweet spot.

Haunting story of lives in distant times in Korea

An epic story of giseng during Japanese occupation and Korean War. Beautifully and poetically written. Masterfully read.

Not bad

The story is interesting, with some unique aspects. However, the writer goes to great lengths to produce drawn-out and rather ridiculous and self-conscious metaphor and similes. I tried not to let these weak attempts at writing lyrically to distract me too much from the plot line. So…I all, a okay book.