de Lee Geum-yi
"With the mellifluous tones of shakuhachi music setting the story, listeners are taken to a time and place far from the current era. Aurally illustrating the young bride's quietly independent nature, Osmanski's performance draws listeners into Willow's story." - Library Journal
"Lee Geum-yi has a gift for taking little-known embers of history and transforming them into moving, compelling, and uplifting stories. The Picture Bride is the ultimate story of the power of friendship—a must read!" —Heather Morris, #1 New York Times bestselling author
"Your husband is a landowner," they told her.
"Food and clothing is so plentiful, it grows on trees."
"You will be able to go to school."
Of the three lies the matchmaker told Willow before she left home as a picture bride in 1918, the third hurt the most. Never one to be deterred, Willow does all that she can to make the best of her unexpected circumstance. But it isn't long before her dreams for this new life are shattered, first by a husband who never wanted to marry her in the first place, and then by the escalation of the Korean independence movements, unified in goal, but divergent in action, which threaten to split the Hawaiian Korean community and divide Willow's family and friends.
Braving the rough waters of these tumultuous years, Willow forges ahead, creating new dreams through her own blood, sweat, and tears; working tirelessly toward a better life for her family and loved ones.
"A beautiful testimony to those women bold and determined enough to leave behind all that was familiar, seeking a better life." —Lisa Wingate, #1 New York Times bestselling author
A Macmillan Audio production from Forge Books.
"With the mellifluous tones of shakuhachi music setting the story, listeners are taken to a time and place far from the current era. Aurally illustrating the young bride's quietly independent nature, Osmanski's performance draws listeners into Willow's story." - Library Journal
"Lee Geum-yi has a gift for taking little-known embers of history and transforming them into moving, compelling, and uplifting stories. The Picture Bride is the ultimate story of the power of friendship—a must read!" —Heather Morris, #1 New York Times bestselling author
"Your husband is a landowner," they told her.
"Food and clothing is so plentiful, it grows on trees."
"You will be able to go to school."
Of the three lies the matchmaker told Willow before she left home as a picture bride in 1918, the third hurt the most. Never one to be deterred, Willow does all that she can to make the best of her unexpected circumstance. But it isn't long before her dreams for this new life are shattered, first by a husband who never wanted to marry her in the first place, and then by the escalation of the Korean independence movements, unified in goal, but divergent in action, which threaten to split the Hawaiian Korean community and divide Willow's family and friends.
Braving the rough waters of these tumultuous years, Willow forges ahead, creating new dreams through her own blood, sweat, and tears; working tirelessly toward a better life for her family and loved ones.
"A beautiful testimony to those women bold and determined enough to leave behind all that was familiar, seeking a better life." —Lisa Wingate, #1 New York Times bestselling author
A Macmillan Audio production from Forge Books.
Critiques-
-
September 19, 2022
Lee’s heartfelt if plodding English-language debut revolves around a trio of Korean mail-order brides in Hawaii. Willow,17, agrees to move from Korea to Hawaii in 1917 for marriage, believing she’ll get to attend school. She arrives in Hawaii with fellow picture bride Hongju, a young widow and friend; and Songwha, the daughter of an outcast. Willow is relieved that her fiance So Taewan is still a young man, as opposed to her friends’ older grooms, but is hurt by Taewan’s coldness and the realization she will have to work hard on his plantation. Only after she confronts him about his previous love for another woman does their relationship begin to thaw, and they have a son. Willow offers solace and support to her friends amid their unhappy marriages, helping Songwha stand up to her abusive husband and keeping in touch with Hongju after she moves to a different island. When Taewan travels to China to fight the Japanese, Willow supports the family and navigates her uncertain place in the divided Korean community. After a strong first act exploring Willow’s curdled romantic expectations, Lee slips into a muddled series of episodes without real climax, culminating with an unnecessary twist. It’s an engaging picture of a time and a place, but little more than that. -
Joy Osmanski offers a strong narration of Lee Geum-yi's tale, set in the early twentieth century. Based on the recommendation of a matchmaker, Japanese and Korean women agreed to move to Hawaii to marry prospective grooms, decisions that were based solely on an exchange of photos. Willow considers herself lucky because her betrothed looks like his photo although he's cold and distant, while Hongju and Songwha discover their husbands are old, unappealing, and nothing like their photos. Osmanski uses her considerable skill and range of voices to breathe life into these stilted characters, but even she cannot elevate the clunky writing. The characters never feel three-dimensional, the storyline is predictable, and, despite Osmanski's efforts, what begins as an exciting adventure never quite delivers. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
-
March 1, 2023
Korean author Lee's first novel to be translated into English is now available in audio, narrated by Korean American actress Joy Osmanski. The audio takes listeners from Japanese-occupied Korea to the American territory of Hawai'i during the 1920s. In her late teens, Willow and her friends leave their Korean village for Hawai'i, to start their lives as picture brides. Willow soon learns that, unlike her fellow brides' mates, her new husband is as handsome and young as his photograph had shown; however, the security and education she craves is still beyond her reach. Unable to escape the far reach of the Japanese control of her homeland, Willow is faced with supporting her family and finding her place just as her husband leaves to fight for Korean independence. With the mellifluous tones of shakuhachi music setting the story, listeners are taken to a time and place far from the current era. Aurally illustrating the young bride's quietly independent nature, Osmanski's performance draws listeners into Willow's story. Her lightly accented voice denotes the characters' countries of origin without caricaturing their voices. VERDICT This sensitive production will transport listeners into the past. Share with fans of Min Jin Lee and Lisa See.--Amanda L. S. Murphy
Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
