The most painful episodes of Korean modern history lived through a single individual’s life.

This is a humane reconstruction of the ordinary lives of those living through the tumultuous modern history of Korea, the ninth collection of short stories to be published by novelist Lee Gyujeong. The most painful episodes of modern Korean history, from the Korean War to the Chongryon spy accusations, the Bodo League massacre, collective punishment, and anti-communism are summed up through the life of the book’s main character and examined in light of today. The author forces us to consider how the fate of one’s country affected the life of an individual during that epoch, and what it means to live humanely at a time when people put their lives at risk for the sake of mere survival