History from a Woman's Perspective- A Book Blog

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea Author: Axie Oh Genre: YA, Historical Fiction, Fantasy Publisher: Feiwel & Friends Pages: 336 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Axie Oh's The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is an enthralling feminist retelling of the classic Korean folktale "The Tale of Shim Cheong," perfect for fans of Wintersong, Uprooted, and Miyazaki’s Spirited Away .      Deadly storms have ravaged Mina’s homeland for generations. Floods sweep away entire villages, while bloody wars are waged over the few remaining resources. Her people believe the Sea God, once their protector, now curses them with death and despair. In an attempt to appease him, each year a beautiful maiden is thrown into the sea to serve as the Sea God’s bride, in the hopes that one day the “true bride” will be chosen and end the suffering.       Many believe that Shim Cheong, the most beautiful girl in the village...

A Thousand Miles to Freedom: My Escape from North Korea Author: Eunsun Kim and Sebastien Falletti Genre: Nonfiction, Modern History, Autobiography and Memoir Publisher: St. Martin's Press Release Date: July 21, 2015 Pages: 240 Source: My State Public Library Synopsis: Eunsun Kim was born in North Korea, one of the most secretive and oppressive countries in the modern world. As a child Eunsun loved her country...despite her school field trips to public executions, daily self-criticism sessions, and the increasing gnaw of hunger as the country-wide famine escalated.       By the time she was eleven years old, Eunsun's father and grandparents had died of starvation, and Eunsun was in danger of the same. Finally, her mother decided to escape North Korea with Eunsun and her sister, not knowing that they were embarking on a journey that would take them nine long years to complete. Before finally reaching South Korea and freedom, Eunsun and her family would live homeles...

The Ohana Author: C.W. Schutter Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: River Ranch Press Release Date: November 13th, 2013 Pages: 282 Source: This book was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: A child is dying. Her life depends on an explosive secret her grandmother has kept from their Ohana (family). As Mary Han wrestles with the toxic revelations, she must finally face the past she fought so hard to forget.       The Ohana is a riveting retrospective of the social, political, and economic history of Hawaii told through a historical family saga spanning three unforgettable generations. From the young Korean, Han Chaul Roong, who murders the hated Japanese invaders who kidnap his sister and force her into prostitution, to the Japanese aristocrat Kazuko who abandons her life of wealth and privilege to live in poverty with the servant she loves, the Asians came to work the brutal cane fields of Hawaii under Patrick O'Malley, a re...