For fans of historical fiction, this is a fascinating entry into this category, showcasing a period in Korean history that I had little knowledge. Things were tough in Korea in 1918, with poverty and Japanese oppression dominating the country. A chance for a better life was sought by many young women, becoming "picture brides" in Hawaii to men who had traveled there to work on sugarcane plantations. These men had succumbed to a life of gambling and alcoholic abuse, decreasing productivity so the picture brides seemed like a lifesaver. Young Willow traveled at the age of 18 from Korea to be a bride of a man 9 years older. During the trip, she meets and develops sisterly friendships with other picture brides, particularly 2 others who figure prominently in the story. Upon arrival, these women, minus Willow, have found themselves to be duped as their betrothed were in fact 30-40 years older than their stated age. With no other alternative, they stayed married and suffered within their relationships. Willow, unfortunately, had to develop a thick spine as her husband did not know she was arranged to be his bride, was in mourning for a past love who had died, and was fiercely involved in the Korean independence movement. After having their first child, they bonded more but her husband chose to go to China to assist in Korea's independence movement leaving Willow to fend for herself. Plucky, determined and worked to the bone, she took a number of jobs involving laundry and sewing eventually setting up her own shop. Much of the book is devoted to the tight friendships of the woman, the historical record of what was happening in Korea's fight from domination, and the acrimony between which candidate the emigrated Koreans supported in the battle for a free Korea.The story was interesting but 3/4 of the book the novel changed abruptly from a story about Willow to her daughter.The sudden switch and an unforeseen twist in the story consumed the last sections. Personally, it felt like a seismic shift which I thought diminished the previous flow. Learning a lot about picture brides in this period was fascinating however, and many fans of historical fiction should delight in this book.

tw: domestic abuse, racism

The Picture Bride follows 18 years-old Willow who moves from Korea to Hawai'i in 1918 in hopes of a better life when she was matched with a man who was to be her husband via a matchmaker based solely on photographs. Willow was also promised that her husband was a landowner, that she would have plenty of food and clothes, and most importantly -- that she would be able to go to school. As Willow, her best friends Hongju and Songhwa, and many other picture brides journey from Korea to Hawai'i to meet their husbands and start their new life -- leaving everything that they once knew behind; they realize that things are not as it seems and their hopes and dreams for a better life and to escape poverty are shattered.

I love reading historical fictions and this was no exception. It was insightful to learn about another part of Korea's history that I didn't know before -- not only about picture brides but also the tension and division within the Korean community in Hawai'i regarding Korea's independence -- before the split of what we now know as North and South Korea. But it also served as a dark reminder of what Korea had to struggle and endure for many years because of the Japanese colonialism and then the Pearl Harbour Attack in Hawai'i.

Willow was a strong, courageous and resilient protagonist. Despite the hardships that she had to endure and overcome; it was inspiring to see her persevere, speak up for herself and other women, and do her best to make her marriage and family work in this foreign land. I also adored the unshakeable friendships between the women in the novels. They showed loyalty and compassion to each other despite differences in opinions. The friendships in the novel were a beautiful portrayal of found family, which otherwise would've made moving to a foreign land even more complex and lonely as racism, abuse and overall mistreatment of women were displayed in the novel.

While the translation didn't flow smoothly 100% of the time and probably still needs some final revisions, it didn't take away from this novel's impact. It remained a page-turner and a fascinating read. If you loved Pachinko by Min Jin Lee or love reading and learning about Korea's rich history; I recommend checking this out!

The topic is interesting -- "picture brides" in the early 20th century who moved from Korea to Hawaii on the basis of often misleading pictures and bios in search of a better life. This is a immigration story I had no prior familiarity with. However, the execution is a bit off, probably because this is a translation.

The Picture Bride is a historical fiction written by Lee Geum-yi and translated by Seonjae An. The book tells the stories of Korean picture brides in Hawaii in the 1910-1920s, a less-known history of the Asian immigrants in America. There are three parts in this book: their journey from Korea to Hawaii via Japan and their new life, settling down in Hawaii with new jobs and dreams, and the reflection of the second generation.

Overall, I enjoy the background setting of this book. Always intrigued by historical fiction, I find this book interesting and eye-opening. However, the translation might not feature a smooth flow throughout the book, and it, personally, gives a slower start.

There are various topics covered in this book, emotional wise, such as friendship and family. Despite the hardship and suffering, the bonding grew between picture bridges is strong and beautiful. Other hard topics that are interesting to dive in would be the historical events and immigrant communities in Hawaii. While I only have little knowledge of the history during this period, these details do make the story vivid and attractive to me.

I think if you enjoy reading historical fictions and/ or have an interest in Asian immigrants to America between the two world wars, this would be the one for you.

I received an advance review copy from the publisher, Forge Books, via NetGally, and my review is provided voluntarily.

This has a very interesting premise and quite heavy themes that are scarily still relevant. I just wished there was more attention to historical detail and I’m not particularly sure but the writing didn’t feel very smooth for me. Understandable though considering it’s translated, not all translated books I’ve read have stilted prose.

Need to collect my thoughts still. Full review to come!

At the young age of 18, Willow is informed that she's to be married to a man she's never seen. All she has is a photograph of Taewan, and the promise that as a man 9 years her senior, he will be able to take care of her despite the fact she she must leave her home in Korea for Hawaii. What draws her in, however, is that she'll be able to attend school there, despite being a girl in 1918. She makes the arduous journey with several other "picture brides" where they eventually all meet their husbands, many of whom are not who they said they were. Willow initially considers herself lucky as her husband matches the photograph of him she received, but she's unprepared for the difficulties of life as Taewan's wife, and her life is completely upended.

There are some very heavy topics that "The Picture Bride" covers, including the mistreatment of Korean women during this time as many were placed into arranged marriages, domestic abuse, and the ongoing racial tensions between these countries during the time. There's a lot of adversity that Willow, later known as Pearl, overcomes and the determination of these women to make their marriages and new families work, despite the circumstances.

However, this was not an overall positive read for me. I'm not sure if this is more attributable to the original novel or the translation, but much of the sentence structure and prose is limited, with little variety in length, tone, and complexity. The transitions between passages and scenes is jarring at times, and don't flow well. I found Willow a difficult character to like as well - for most of the book, her focus is simply on the appearance and wealth of her future husband, and there's little depth to her character or personality.

While I appreciated the premise of this novel, it wasn't an enjoyable read for me.

This is a wonderful story about strong women in difficult situations. However, the translation was hard to read and didn't flow very well. I would recommend this book because the story is very interesting.

Picture brides were Korean women who sent pictures to Hawai'i in the hopes of finding a suitable husband and a better life. They received pictures in return of Korean men who left their country to work in plantations. Based on those pictures alone, these women left everything they had ever known in the hopes of finding a better future not only for themselves but also for their families.

Here's the catch: the majority of the men lied. They used pictures from when they were younger to trick the women so, when the picture brides arrived on the island, they found themselves unable to go back to their homeland and stuck in deceitful marriages.

Learning about the picture brides was both fascinating and heartbreaking. Willow and her friends showed resilience, compassion to one another and a sort of desperate need to persevere against all the odds stacked against them. There's also devotion in the idea of a family, both biological and chosen. However, we also see their struggles in what were basically loveless marriages, uprisings and trying to find their place in their world besides just being labeled as a wife.

I thought this book showed an incredible and respectful portrayal about the lives of the picture brides and the situation with Korean immigrants in Hawai'i. However, I did have two issues with this book. The first one was the translation. I did read the translator's note at the end in which they changed certain things in order to made the book "easier" to read. But, if I'm being honest, the transitions between scenes and the dialogue often felt choppy and awkward. I had to go back and forth in certain places to get a better grip of the story. My other issue was the epilogue, which featured a huge time jump that didn't make a lot of sense to me. Don't let this discourage you though. If you liked Pachinko by Min Jin Lee or The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See (both of which are incredible books), I recommend you give this a try!

dnf. I'm not into this. The writing is very clunky. I would soldier on if it were just the sentence structure, especially considering that it's a translated book, but the organization is also off. The narration will wrap up a scene or event, begin to move on to what happened next, and double back to give a few more sentences about the thing that happened before. A lot of opportunities for historical detail were skipped over, so this wouldn't be a great read for people who like immersive detail. In general, not enjoyable to read or easy to follow.

eARC from NetGalley.

In 1918, Willow at eighteen leaves her home of Korea and travels across the ocean to Hawaii, where she was promised to a man, nine years older, who is a landlord.

A decade earlier, Korean men went to Hawaii for work. Now, they were looking for brides. But in the matchmaking process, there is some dishonesty on the part of men. Some pictures are quite a few years old or taken at not their property.

The historical background of Koreans in Hawaii is interesting. In 1910, the US approved picture marriages for the Korean workers in hopes of curbing the alcohol and gambling addictions of many single workers. Also, Willow observing the differences in customs. The story also weaves in, the Japanese influence on Korea. The fight for freedom and independence continues to be a current theme.

It is a fascinating story, however, I found the style of writing as a lot of telling, instead of showing.

This novel is a poignant masterful tale of a Korean woman who never falters. Despite the adversities, she faced, she continued to move on with grit and perseverance. I learned a lot from this novel, not just part of history but how can one woman struggles with life and change to be better than when she started.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In 1918, Willow left her home in Korea as a picture bride, to go to Hawaii and get married. But not everything is as exciting she thought it would be. With her husband (Taewan) who didn't want to marry her in the first place, and with the rise of different Korean independence movements, bound to bring arguments and strife to Willow's life.

One thing is clear: this book made me more knowledgeable on Korea's history of the time. It depicted the struggles of everyday immigrant life of the time pretty well, how much Koreans felt like outsiders, but how they formed their own community, how they worked until they couldn't function.

The female power on this book is strong: Willow was a 20-year-old when she reached Hawaii, and her evolvement and inner strength to pull it off and make her marriage and family work, was admirable and respectable. But, she had the support of her friends: firstly, Hongju, who even though I didn't like at the beginning, as she grew older, she won my respect. Sonhwa, this precious human being, deserved so much better and she was misunderstood and under-appreciated her whole life. Who I also liked was Pearl, who was just trying to find her place in the world and she felt like not having a proper identity.

I learned so much of the Korean culture and history, and yet I feel like I only know small bits. If you like historical fiction and want to learn a bit about Korean history, this book is for you!

Thank you @netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

I received an arc from NetGalley.

This book is historical fiction, talking about the "picture brides" from Korea to Hawaii, around the start of World War 2. This is a translation of a Korean book, and the translation has some small issues I hope will be gone in the final edition. There are a lot of lines that sound unnatural.

We follow Willow and her friend who go to Hawaii as a picture bride. This is basically an arranged marriage, except they only get to see a picture of their intended, and whatever information the matchmaker gives them.
Arranged marriages weren't uncommon in Korea at the time, at least from what I got from this book. Moving to another country however, not common at all.

As probably anyone in this day and age knows, people lie. Most of the men send in old pictures and lie about their wealth in order to get a young, poor, pretty bride from the homeland. Willow is one of the lucky ones, but even so, her life consists of little but hardships.

Willow is a very passive main character. She complains about her new husband being distant while in the same breath thinking about how she doesn't even dare to talk to him. How do you expect to get closer without talking? Things happen to Willow, rarely does she seem to make her own decisions. Which is probably pretty historically accurate, but doesn't make for the most interesting main character.

The view of immigrant life in this book is very bleak. No, I take that back, not just immigrant life, all life. There's a lot of talk about suicide, parents telling their children how they are lucky the parents haven't "thrown themselves of a cliff yet" or people telling children they are the only reason their parents are alive and without them they'd commit suicide. In today's age, this would be seen as mental abuse.
There's also domestic abuse mentioned.

The most interesting part for me was the tension in the Korean community at the time. Korea doesn't exist yet, and Choson is at the time of this book occupied by Japan. The Koreans, especially those in Hawaii, want to take their homeland back, and are divided on how to do it.
Looking at this through a modern lense, this is the beginning of the split between what's now North and South Korea.
The author is South Korean so some bias is to be expected. Willow's husband is on the side of what's now North Korea, which I thought was an interesting choice. All of Willow's friends are on the side of now South Korea, which is a source of conflict throughout the book.
Now, I took some classes on Korean history in university, but I'm far from an expert. What I know from the Korean war is that the North side was more organised than the South side, which consisted of smaller groups, which is why when the countries first split, North Korea was more prosperous than South Korea. (I know, surprising, right?) Even when I visited the border on a trip to South Korea, our tour guide, despite giving a lot of propaganda, admitted this, so I'm fairly sure that this is true.
Yet in this book the South Korean groups are far more organized and less fractured than the North Korean groups. The North groups are described as failing and despite our main character's husband being part of this group, is not really mentioned in a good light.

It was interesting to see that a lot of the Korean resistance was based on Hawaii and it gives a whole new perspective on the attack on Pearl Harbor as well.

The final two chapters of this book suddenly have a large time skip and a new main character, and we get a lot of complaints about Willow and her husband, as well as a bunch of intrigues that would have actually been interesting to read about, but we're only told about them. These two chapters don't really fit in with the rest of the book, and in my opinion weren't really necessary.

I discovered an interesting though harsh part of history: Korea from the 1919's on. We meet three young Korean women who wish to leave the poverty of their country by marrying Korean men living in Hawaii. These men will send their pictures to the young women with some info hoping to be accepted by them. Many will not send an up to date picture or will lie about their jobs and social status... I found particularly interesting the fact that I learned a lot about Korean history of the early 20th century at the same rhythm as our three main characters: through their husbands, friends who fought for Korean independence from the Japanese oppression from Hawaii and China...
This novel is also about identity (second generation's mother tongue different from the mother's own language!); how to follow traditions (is that even possible?); where does one belong to? (is one enough American to enroll in the Army to fight WWII?); do you have to prove it by becoming a soldier?
The last 10% of the novel felt like an epilog to me. I would have liked a bit more depth on the interesting topic of the second generation. However I greatly enjoyed this fascinating story which I definitely highly recommend.
I received a digital ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is a fascinating historical fiction book about a Korean woman who moves to Hawaii. The characters and setting are very interesting. It is easy to empathize with the main character who wants to go to school.

I found this story to be very fascinating. I haven't read much about picture wives, leaving China and going to the Islands of Hawaii in the 1900's. There is parent love, bravery from the picture wives at such young ages, the forming of forever women friendships and the women starting and running their own businesses and of course love. The build up of the story is a page turner. The ending beautiful.