What readers think of The Young Will Remember, plus links to write your own review.

This book by Evie J. Chung is every bit as good as her book of Shandong, if not even better. It is 1950 and Ellie Chang, a war correspondent is a Chinese American. The flight she's on is shot down in North Korea and everyone on board is shot dead by soldiers. Ellie is spared because of a Korean lady mistaking her as her daughter. Although Ellie isn't killed by the soldiers, she is trapped in North Korea during a raging war. She's taken in by Emma, the lady mistaking her for her daughter and the Korean family that she's staying with. Emma is desperately trying to find her daughter who has been drafted by the Japanese into the Comfort Stations which are systems of sexual slavery, also known as rape stations. Emma is determined to find her daughter as the war rages all around them. Ellie is determined to get back to her family in the US. This is the story of their journey through an unbelievable period of history.

The story in this book is full of cruelty, death, starvation, betrayal, heart break, fear, and bravery. But, it is about wonderful people, perseverance, and unconditional love. It sheds light on just how strong women can be, especially when it comes to the love they have for their children. I highly recommend this book.

The Korean War is raging. War correspondent Eleanor Chang is American born with parents from Taiwan. The medi-vac plane she is traveling in is shot down i North Korea and attacked. She escapes into the countryside. Eleanor is rescued by local family. Together they all struggle to find a safe haven away from the South Korean. North Korean and American armies. Their goal is to reach Japan.

The winter weather is brutal, food and shelter scarce and people to trust are rare. They are able to muddle through communicating speaking Japanese, Korean, Chinese and English .As they walk the forbidding terrain promises are made. Promises are kept.

This is a look at the Korean culture and the story of civilian chaos during a war none of them wanted. I am recommending it to my public library and other readers I know.

I loved this book. It was a difficult read at times, but I couldn't put it down. I initially thought in the first few chapters that Ms. Chung was going to give me another wartime love story. Thankfully this was not the case, because I feel that there wasn't a place for that in this particular story. I wasn't very familiar with the Korean War and had to do a little research to put the political climate of that time in context. The descriptive writing really made me feel like I was there and living Emma's experience. I appreciated the author's ability to offer an unbiased view of the events. None of the parties ever win in a war and we are quick to villify the enemy.

"People everywhere are the same," I finally said, channeling my friend Machiko. "Regardless of their nationality, they can be kind, and they can be cruel. The world has many selfish leaders, stupid leaders, and terrifying leaders, but it is largely filled with people who want to be good. It doesn't matter where you are in this life. Just pick somewhere where you can live and do good— where your nation does not depend on the ambition and whims of a single man, where you can change your leaders when they fail you."

I am recommending this book to everyone. It covers a time in history mostly forgotten and yet very relevant, particularly with what's happening in the world right now. It will stay with you a long time.

This book revealed the conflict between the peoples of war and those running them. It spoke of family, home, and loyalty. It dove into the atrocities that happen during war and the devastating effects on the people who endure them. But it also offered hope in the continued fight for justice and for a final reckoning. This book will make you feel and rage and want to fight. It doesn't let go. It calls into question the concepts of right and wrong, us and them, and righteousness vs. compassion. It captured the women's experience of war particularly well, I think, and the reality of what that does to a nation.

Wow! What an interesting read! This book affected me so much, I had to take a few days off after reading to write this review. The Young Will Remember by Eve J. Chung is a historical novel that takes place during the Korean War, 1951-1953. It's a story of a young female war correspondent for an American newspaper who gets trapped in the North Korean territory during the war. While this novel is fiction, many of the actions portrayed were events that actually occurred during this time period.

Characters are so well defined, I became emotionally attached to their lives. I empathized with them through their decisions & actions. The first few chapters felt slow & non-engaging, but pushing through was well worth the journey. I knew nothing & had never read anything about this war. This book clearly exposed the causes & horrors of such a crisis.

Overall, I have to say it was one of the best books I have read this year (2026) & as soon as it is officially published, I plan to buy copies for my book clubs. It's definitely a book to share & discuss with others.

It hasn't been 100 years but I don't really remember the Korean War. Interesting the author pointed out that there seems to be a war every 100 years due to the fact those that would remember are dead and gone. We often say we must learn from the past but it appears we don't. This book stimulated my thinking/worries regarding political involvement on the "world stage" as well as in our own country. As in the book, women play a very important role while organizing friends and neighbors to fight against harmful governmental decisions/coverups. The author helped me realize, more than ever, that "homegrown resistance" can have an effect. Women don't wear a uniform but they often find themselves fighting the battles their husbands face. This book would be a good one for book club discussion.

Very little historical fiction deals with the Korean War. Nonfiction books like The Coldest War by David Halberstam are more common but this war remains shadowy if not forgotten in American history, so a novel set in this period is a very welcome and rare one indeed.

Set in the coldest winter between early December and February, 1950-1951, this stunning work of fiction deals with a Chinese American reporter, Eleanor "Ellie" Chang, after she is shot down in North Korea and is rescued by a Korean woman who identifies her as her daughter. The novel then covers how Ellie is able to get home during this war-torn period. Befriended by "Emma" (the Korean word for mother is close to this word) and the Paks, religious missionaries, the ties Ellie forms in her return to safety are deep and the stuff of why differences do not matter where love prevails.

Ellie is a wonderful character. Smart, strong and resilient, she exhibits the spirit of women - whom many today want to bury from history - who often are the ones who stand strong against the forces of evil and destruction. This book brings this out as well in the other characters who help Ellie.

Kudos to the author for tackling an important piece of history and giving light to proud, defiant women.

I'd like to thank BookBrowse and Beckley Publishing for allowing access to this ARC.

I rarely give five stars. For me, a five-star rating is reserved for books whose characters stay with me long after the final page... the ones that settle into your heart and soul and refuse to leave. The Young Will Remember is absolutely one of those books.

Going into this novel, I knew very little about the Korean War. What I expected was a good historical story; what I found instead was something deeply human, emotional, and unforgettable. Eve J. Chung brings history to life through characters who feel achingly real — flawed, brave, vulnerable, and enduring in ways that linger long after you close the book.

This story didn't just entertain me; it educated me. It sent me down a historical research rabbit hole, eager to learn more about a war and a generation whose stories are too often overlooked. That, to me, is the mark of exceptional historical fiction- when fiction becomes a doorway to real history and deeper understanding.

This is not simply a book you read. It's a book you carry with you.