I have been trying to read books from the South Asian culture because as Indians we are more culturally close to them than the West. Especially, after our month long trip to Mongolia in 2015, we understood that Western historians don’t do justice to the Asian stories. From making Genghis Khan into a monster and Pol Pot into a hero, there have been too many things that have been wrongly depicted.
This is the second book regarding Korea. The first one was Pachinko, then A River in Darkness. Unfortunately any book that talks of Korea’s history, shows the darker side of Imperial Japan. Daughters of the Dragon is no different.
Daughters of the Dragon – Summary
Anna Carlson, a 20 year old American girl loses her adopted mother and wants to find her birth mother. The book starts with Anna traveling to Korea to find her birth mother. At the orphanage from where she was adopted, she finds out that her birth mother died during childbirth. As she is leaving the orphanage, an old woman forces her to accept a package.
The package contains a beautiful antique comb with a two-headed dragon and a request to meet at a particular place. After discussing with her father and the tour guide, Anna decides to visit the old lady.
The old lady turns out to be her maternal grandmother from whom she learns the secret history of her grandmother Hong Jae-hee. Jae-hee was forced to be a “comfort woman” by the Japanese soldiers during WWII. The Japanese occupation of Korea was a dark period and nearly 200,000 girls and women were forced to be “comfort women” for the Japanese soldiers. It was only in the 90’s that their existence was even acknowledged and in 2015 Japan made a half hearted attempt to pay some reparations.
Jae-hee narrates hers and her sister’s ordeal as comfort women, and those pages are difficult to read. She also explains how Korea was split into two and she manages to escape from North Korea to South Korea. The antique comb has travelled with Jae-hee throughout these years and has helped her survive against all odds.
Something changes in Anna as she listens to her grandmother narrate her story and she soon realises that she inherits a royal legacy. Once back in the US, she stays in touch with her grandmother and also learns about Korea besides learning to speak the language.
Anna helps Jae-hee get reconnected with her elder sister as well.
Am not sharing the whole story as I feel that would be unfair to the author. More people should read the book.
I, have still not read Danny Gervais, whom you had reviewed earlier. U seem to have a regular reading habit. I wonder how you get time, between all your travels and other work.
Simon Gervais, Muthuraman Sir. I read everyday even if it’s just one page. Won’t sleep without reading.