I found The Stone Home a hard book to get into, with its undefined Korean words, disconnected events, several names and titles for a number of characters, and magical realism that, to me, often felt clumsy and forced.
All that said, this is an important book. The Stone Home
…more is based on a historical phenomenon that I had never before encountered: South Korean state-sanctioned communities, utilized in the 1970's and 1980's, and billed as rehabilitation centers. In truth, they more closely resembled concentration camps.
What happens in the book is appalling, some of it stomach-turning. But these places did exist. And as I googled for more information, I read about the Brothers' Home, which featured slave labor, torture, and rape.
In conclusion, I thank Crystal Hana Kim for opening my eyes to a part of history I had never known. I only wish her book had been less of a struggle to read. (less)
.png)