Book of the Week

Is it possible to get over the loss of your family, friends, country, culture, language and even your ability to engage with others? At age 21, Yohan is conscripted into the North Korean army and captured by American soldiers. He spends three years in a prisoner-of-war camp, only to be released and shipped to Brazil. There, alone, possessionless save for a discarded lady’s umbrella, he works for a Japanese tailor in a small village and befriends a few locals, including two street kids and a groundskeeper. Yoon’s gift as a writer is to reveal the meaning in the smallest moments, such as the ringing of a church bell—an everyday sound that causes Yohan to wonder "how completely time could abandon someone," as well as, "how far it could leap" once that someone has rediscovered love. A subtle, elegant, poignant read.