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

I was completely invested in Ellie’s story! I often lean towards WWII historical novels but felt the same pull of immersion into the historical context of the Korean War during this read. The surrounding subjects of comfort women, gender equality, military occupation, civilian casualties, racism and even mental health are such important tragic topics that Chung tackled in such an engaging, relevant way. An emotional, but informative book that I highly recommend— 5??

Thank you BookBrowse, NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the advanced ebook!

All of these thoughts and opinions are my own.

I always find the mark of a well done historical fiction is the ability to simultaneously entertain and teach. The Young Will Remember does that in spades. I knew very little about the Korean War (or police action, as the Americans called it) so it was a true learning experience. Chung packs a lot of information into this story and I came away feeling I had a much better sense of this forgotten war.

Ellie Chang is a reporter in Korea when the plane she’s on goes down in enemy territory. An elderly woman insists Ellie is her daughter and manages to help her escape death. “Emma”’s daughter was taken by the Japanese during WWII and the fear was that she was taken as a comfort woman. Needless to say, she never returned home. Thus begins Ellie’s attempt to get back to the American side in a war when the lines were constantly being redrawn. The characters were all well drawn. Not just Ellie and “Emma” but also the Pak family, who have their own unique histories.

The book is also especially timely. The parallels between any war and the atrocities committed by both sides are hard to ignore. This book doesn’t pull any punches and some descriptions are graphic. It’s a reminder that no side is ever entirely on the side of the angels and men in power tend not to consider how their decisions affect the people on the ground. In fact, the strength of the book is that while Ellie is American, she is living with Northern Koreans and can see how the war is affecting them.
There are so many themes here and it would make a wonderful book club selection.

My thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for an advance copy of this book.

I liked this one—emotional, intense, and revealing in ways I didn't expect. The focus on found family within a historical fiction setting felt especially powerful, and I appreciated the spotlight on the Korean War, a perspective I don't often see explored. The sacrifices woven throughout the story added real weight and depth.

I was especially intrigued by the unfamiliar history and loved the feminist edge of the main character, which gave the narrative a strong, modern resonance.

A small note: careful editing around capitalization (e.g., Marines) would help polish the final product.

I'd recommend this for book clubs and for readers looking to expand beyond typical historical fiction, particularly those interested in stories centered on non-white perspectives.

An immersive novel set during the Korean War depicting the hardships, brutality and starvation endured by the people in the conflict between north and south. The narrative follows the path to survival of a female American war correspondent of Asian heritage, Ellie Chang, who is shot down in enemy territory. She is found, befriended and rescued by a Korean woman searching for her missing daughter, likely forced either into slave labor or life serving as a "comfort woman" i.e. sex slavery.

Ellie is taken in, protected and nursed back to health by the woman's family and joins them in their escape from the advancing enemy, the North Koreans aided by the Chinese. The depiction of this harrowing journey vividly describes the chaos, the fear of the unknown, the blind faith required to survive such an ordeal. The plot deepens as family grudges, misrepresentations and assumptions are revealed. Friendship, sisterhood, family bonds and chosen family ties are explored. The author's afterword pays tribute to the ongoing research and revelations regarding sex slavery and the acknowledgement and reparations that still need to be forthcoming.

A very engaging read, highly recommended!

Loved every second of this book. Had me feeling every emotion. Made me laugh, made me cry. Also, learned so much about the Korean War. Very well written and well done!

This book is a great example of why I love historical fiction - it's well written with excellent action scenes, and about a topic (the Korean War) that I know little about. Ellie is a young Chinese American journalist in 1950 who becomes stuck behind enemy lines in Korea when her plane is shot down. Miraculously, she is rescued by an older Korean woman who mistakenly thinks that Ellie is her long lost daughter. With no other choice, Ellie escapes with the woman she names Emma and finds a temporary home of sorts with her and Emma's "on the outs" friend, Omo, her husband, and son. Their relationships with each other are prickly at best, yet Ellie has hopes of heading to Pyongyang on a route home to America. They endure many hardships together, most of which are difficult today for us to imagine. There are language difficulties, hunger and thirst, violence, ethnic rivalries, and forced prostitution. The author portrays the intricacies of the relationships among the Japanese, the Chinese and the Korean people. She also tackles the horrendous reality of "comfort houses" where women were forced into prostitution during the war. A very powerful book about the horrors of war.

Knowing nothing of the Korean War, I was interested in learning the history. This book delved into the politics and humanity with biting awareness. The writing was evocative and plunged me into the time frame and climate. Every page was ripe with creating a visual and a feeling. The characters each had a story to tell and despite coming from different backgrounds, love and respect was interwoven in each.

The depravity and senselessness of war continued throughout the novel. And given the current state of affairs in the world, saddened me even more. It seems no one remembers the pain and loss. Ms. Chung researched this novel well which brought the reality and pain even more to the forefront. I highly recommend this novel...so that, yes, hopefully, the young WILL remember.

This is the captivating story of a war correspondent's experiences while accidentally stranded in North Korea during the war. The story itself is fiction but is based on real events not well known in 2026. While Ms. Chang presents the awful realities of life in a frozen war zone with accompanying starvation, injuries, fear, sickness and death during the winter of 1950, the book is also deeply human. We witness unexpected kindnesses and connections among people that elevate the story into an unforgettable reader experience.

Particularly moving to this reader is its expression in so many wars occurring right now. The book is totally engrossing. We see the worst but also the best in humans. It's an important book, especially I think for the young. Very highly recommend.