Day 118 --The Calligrapher's Daughter




I finished an amazing book tonight, titled The Calligrapher's Daughter by Eugenia Kim.

It wasn't exactly thrilling or suspenseful.  If anything, the plot moved a little slowly.  But what I loved about it the most was the rich characters the author portrayed.  I especially enjoyed the heroine, Najin, the Korean daughter of an aristocrat whose father refused to give her a proper name.  The story weaved its way through her life and her journey towards defining herself despite not having a name.  All of this took place in a time where Korea was also struggling to form its own identity, when the traditions of the past seemed to be directly in opposition to inevitable modernization.  I also got to know Najin's parents and little brother.  By the end of the book, I felt that I was a part of the little Korean family on which the book centered.

It was so interesting to learn about the language, customs, culture, and history of Korea -- specifically during the Japanese occupation in the early 1900s.  I'm quite sure that without reading it, I never would have known some of the simple, elegant truths of Korean heritage.  I am thankful that I do now.

Thank God for The Calligrapher's Daughter!

Lord, thank you for bringing good books to my life.  Thank you for helping me to learn about other cultures through them.  Thank you for loving all of your creation, including your sons and daughters from all walks of life.  Please help me to find another good book tomorrow.  In your name I pray, Amen. 

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