When the Korean government decided to get involved in building its population, the plan included an offer of housing that is cheap, outside a city, and with the stipulation that the couples who move into the community must eventually have at least 3 children. This is part of the driving force that makes Apartment Women a fascinating peek inside the desperate measures to keep the world moving as modern countries are aging rapidly.

Apartment Women describes, in a sense, a forced community. The couples have rules on caring for kids and building out a structure of work to maintain the community. Needless to say, even though the families have to move in because they all want the space and the cheaper living, they are in various places in their lives where living in a community and having to commune is not easy. Some husbands stay home, some wives are working too much and frustrated, and most are not equipped to deal with each other.

The book delves into everyone’s lives, and we get to see all the cracks and fissures of normal people and even how their children cope. I like the plain style of writing. It is an easy read and gives you a sense of what it is like to live in modern Korea for average people.

I really enjoyed Apartment Women. The story switches between the perspectives of the women living in a government housing scheme in South Korea, where couples need to apply to live with a focus on having children and living as a community.

The author did a great job of showing how our expectations for things don’t always reflect reality or how our lives pan out. I also thought that the nuance of our own internal voice was shown very accurately. I especially liked reading how the perspectives of different characters concerning the same situations contrasted with each other. It really helped to show how our experiences are shaped by our expectations and past experiences.

I had a fairly difficult time getting through this. This writing drones on and on and on and it really did not capture my attention. This was not my jam but it may be interesting for others.

gorgeous book with a gorgeous premise by an excellent author. will post this review closer to the review date as this book will be punlished in A YEAR?? oml