Excerpt from The Young Will Remember by Eve J. Chung, plus links to reviews, author biography & more

No one had noticed that the trees were moving.

No one had believed that a "peasant army" would tiptoe through the forests, under white sheets to camouflage with the snow, until they surrounded every single road; until their bugles sounded in the middle of the night and entire platoons disappeared as if swallowed, a bloodbath that verged on annihilation. Air force escorts had had to blast napalm on the path to help the survivors eke out a retreat, over five days, to our base at Hagaru-ri. Thousands of critically wounded soldiers now needed evacuation, but the mission was so hazardous that nurses were forbidden from flying.

Most of the women understood, but the "abrasive" ones were livid.

"We're air force too!" Barbara cried, leading the charge. She pointed to the logo on her jacket as the women encircled George. "Patients need us. You need us. You're going to lose men in flight otherwise!"

George huffed in exasperation. "It's not up to me, okay? I have my orders. The Chosin is too dangerous for you all."

"That's bullshit, and you know it!" said Barbara. "To hell with orders. Just take one of us. Stand up for what you know is right!"

I shoved my typewriter into its case, snapping it shut before gobbling down the rest of my biscuit. "Who's going to care for the patients, George?" I demanded, brushing crumbs off my chin. "On top of being wounded, those boys haven't slept or eaten in five days!"

"Some of us have brothers and boyfriends over there," exclaimed another nurse.

"'No' means 'no,'" said George, pushing past them. "Sorry."

The technicians scattered as George stomped to the ladder that led to the cockpit of the C-47. I dashed after him, whipping out my bag of mochi, still warm from being tucked in my pocket.

"The orders were 'no flight nurses,' right?" I said, flashing my most persuasive grin. If I strained, I could get a dimple to dot my left cheek. "Not 'no women,' or 'no correspondents,' right, George? In any case, I'm a civilian, so military orders don't apply to me. Right?"

His stride was longer than mine, and I had to pump my arms to keep up with him. "No, Ellie, you can't come either," he said. "And I'm not a dog. You can't bribe me with food."

"But I waited in line for these all morning!" I had been betting that George would succumb to these snacks. Like me, he was from the Bay Area and loved the chewy combination of red bean and sticky rice flour. "They're fresh, from our favorite stand-the one by the bathhouse. Come on, George. California solidarity. No one else from the Global Tribune made it to the Chosin. If I can get there, my boss will go wild. The entire team back home will. Please, George. I need this!"

"Go away, Ellie!" George snapped, swatting at the mochi that I dangled by his nose. "I know you think you have to prove yourself, but this is ridiculous, even for you."

Barbara had caught up to us, her boots thudding as the plane's cargo door clanged shut. The other nurses pattered angrily behind her.

"Oh, good Lord," said Barbara. "If you won't take us, at least take Ellie. Let her get her story!"

George whirled around to face us, the bags beneath his bloodshot eyes pronounced. "What is wrong with you all?" he demanded. "Do you have any idea what's happening at Hagaru-ri? The Chinese have the airstrip surrounded. When I fly in, it's going to be with an escort of fighter jets. When I fly out, it's going to be through fire. You should just be grateful that you have the day off. Get some rest. Curl your hair and take a bath."

Barbara flushed so deeply that her freckles faded into her ruddy skin. "Damn you, George. We can help. We want to help!"

I leaped between George and the ladder and stretched my arms out. At five feet two, I barely reached his chin, but I clenched the mochi in my fist and let my typewriter dangle from its shoulder strap. "I thought we were friends, George. I always tell you when there's beef jerky at the commissary. I always get you extra mochi at the market, because I know you're too scared of the mochi obasan to buy them yourself."

Excerpted from The Young Will Remember by Eve J. Chung. Copyright © 2026 by Eve J. Chung. Excerpted by permission of Berkley Books. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.