Tags:cultural heritage
Greek Lessons
Book of the Year 2023 according to New Yorker, TIME magazine, KirkusA powerful novel of the saving grace of language and human connection, from the Nobel Prize-winning author of The Vegetarian.'Breathtaking . . . She is simply my favourite living writer to read, and think with, and see the world with' Max PorterIn a classroom in Seoul, a young woman watches her Greek language teacher at the blackboard. She tries to speak but has lost her voice. Her teacher finds himself drawn to the silent woman, for day by day he is losing his sight.Soon they discover a deeper pain binds them. For her, in the space of just a few months, she has lost both her mother and the custody battle for her nine-year-old son. For him, it's the pain of growing up between Korea and Germany, being torn between two cultures and languages.Greek Lessons is a tender love letter to human connection, a novel to awaken the senses, vividly conjuring the essence of what it means to be alive.Translated by Deborah Smith and e. yaewon.Shortlisted for the Warwick Prize for Women in Translation 2024'Another stunning gem: quiet, sharply faceted, and devastating' Kirkus'Han Kang is a writer like no other. In a few lines, she seems to traverse the entirety of human experience' Katie Kitamura
Mater 2–10
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2024 INTERNATIONAL BOOKER PRIZE International Booker–nominated virtuoso Hwang Sok-yong is back with another powerful story — an epic tale that threads together a century of Korean history. In contemporary Seoul, a laid-off worker stages a months-long sit-in atop a sixteen-storey factory chimney. During the long and lonely nights, he talks to his ancestors, chewing on the meaning of life, on wisdom passed down the generations. Through the lives of those ancestors, three generations of railroad workers, Mater 2-10 vividly portrays the struggles of ordinary Koreans, starting from the Japanese colonial era, continuing through Liberation, and right up to the twenty-first century. It is at once a gripping account of a nation’s longing to be free from oppression, a lyrical folktale that reflects the blood, sweat, and tears shed by modern industrial labourers, and a culmination of Hwang’s career — a masterpiece thirty years in the making. A true voice of a generation, Hwang shows again why he is unmatched when it comes to depicting the roots and reality of a divided nation and bringing to life the trials and tribulations of the Korean people.
Beasts of a Little Land
Winner of the Yasnaya Polyana Award * Finalist for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize 'Unforgettable' Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, author of The Mountains Sing As the Korean independence movement gathers pace, two children meet on the streets of Seoul. Fate will bind them through decades of love and war. They just don’t know it yet. It is 1917, and Korea is under Japanese occupation. With the threat of famine looming, ten-year-old Jade is sold by her desperate family to Miss Silver's courtesan school in the bustling city of Pyongyang. As the Japanese army tears through the country, she is forced to flee to the southern city of Seoul. Soon, her path crosses with that of an orphan named JungHo, a chance encounter that will lead to a life-changing friendship. But when JungHo is pulled into the revolutionary fight for independence, Jade must decide between following her own ambitions and risking everything for the one she loves. Sweeping through five decades of Korean history, Juhea Kim's sparkling debut is an intricately woven tale of love stretched to breaking point, and two people who refuse to let go. Longlisted for the HWA Debut Crown Longlist 2022 * Longlisted for the Nota Bene Prize 2023 'A stunning achievement' TLS
Like Water for Chocolate
INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • Earthy, magical, and utterly charming, this tale of family life in turn-of-the-century Mexico blends poignant romance, bittersweet wit, and delicious recipes. This classic love story takes place on the De la Garza ranch, as the tyrannical owner, Mama Elena, chops onions at the kitchen table in her final days of pregnancy. While still in her mother's womb, her daughter to be weeps so violently she causes an early labor, and little Tita slips out amid the spices and fixings for noodle soup. This early encounter with food soon becomes a way of life, and Tita grows up to be a master chef, using cooking to express herself and sharing recipes with readers along the way.
Saha
From the author of international bestseller Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 '[A]n affecting portrait of people doing their best to survive in a world that would rather pretend they didn’t exist.' New York Times In a country called ‘Town’, Su is found dead in an abandoned car. The suspected killer is presumed to come from the Saha Estates. Town is a privatised country, controlled by a secretive organisation known as the Seven Premiers. It is a society clearly divided into the haves and have-nots and those who have the very least live on the Saha Estates. Among their number is Jin-Kyung, a young woman whose brother, Dok-yung, was in a relationship with Su and quickly becomes the police’s prime suspect. When Dok-yung disappears, Jin Ky-ung is determined to get to the bottom of things. On her quest to find the truth, though, she will uncover a reality far darker and crimes far greater than she could ever have imagined. At once a dystopian mystery and devastating critique of how we live now, Saha lifts the lid on corruption, exploitation and government oppression, while, with deep humanity and compassion, showing us the lives of those who, through no fault of their own, suffer at the hand of brutal forces far beyond their control.Praise for Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 'It describes experiences that will be recognisable everywhere. It’s slim, unadorned narrative distils a lifetime’s iniquities into a sharp punch.’ The Sunday Times ‘A ground-breaking work of feminist fiction’ Stylist ‘Along with other socially critical narratives to come out of Korea, such as Bong Joon-ho’s Oscar-winning film Parasite, her story could change the bigger one.’ The Guardian 'This witty, disturbing book deals with sexism, mental health issues and the hypocrisy of a country where young women are “popping caffeine pills and turning jaundiced” as they slave away in factories helping to fund higher education for male siblings.' The Independent 'Enthralling and enraging.' Sunday Express ‘Cho’s moving, witty and powerful novel forces us to face our reality, in which one woman is seen, pretty much, as interchangeable with any other. There’s a logic to Kim Jiyoung’s shape-shifting: she could be anybody.’ Daily Telegraph
The Picture Bride
Winner of the Nautilus Award for Historical Fiction“Lee Geum-yi has a gift for taking little-known embers of history and transforming them into moving, compelling, and uplifting stories. The Picture Bride is the ultimate story of the power of friendship—a must read!” —Heather Morris, #1 New York Times bestselling author“Your husband is a landowner,” they told her.“Food and clothing is so plentiful, it grows on trees.” “You will be able to go to school.” Of the three lies the matchmaker told Willow before she left home as a picture bride in 1918, the third hurt the most. Never one to be deterred, Willow does all that she can to make the best of her unexpected circumstance. But it isn't long before her dreams for this new life are shattered, first by a husband who never wanted to marry her in the first place, and then by the escalation of the Korean independence movements, unified in goal, but divergent in action, which threaten to split the Hawaiian Korean community and divide Willow's family and friends.Braving the rough waters of these tumultuous years, Willow forges ahead, creating new dreams through her own blood, sweat, and tears; working tirelessly toward a better life for her family and loved ones. “A beautiful testimony to those women bold and determined enough to leave behind all that was familiar, seeking a better life.” —Lisa Wingate, #1 New York Times bestselling authorAt the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
The Empress's Dagger
A fantastic time travel romance series set in Qing Dynasty Era China. As the Qing Empire continues to crumble, the Empress is more desperate than ever to find a way to secure her stranglehold on the country. Every day, she forces Jiayi to use her powers to see into the past to the time of Empress Wu to discover the secret to securing power.But Jiayi already knows the answer.Empress Wu’s dagger is more than it appears. Blessed with an ancient power, the dagger can be used to make and destroy empires.Jiayi’s ability to travel through time is growing stronger, and she is not sure she wants to use that power to prop up a dying empress. There is only one man she wants to save. The man she lost her heart to. A man who died over a thousand years ago.Zhihao knows he cannot fall in love with Jiayi, a palace slave. But with each passing day, his feelings grow stronger.When a ghost from his past walks into his life, Zhihao may have to choose between his country and the woman he loves.Secrets will be revealed in the second exciting installment of the Touching Time Trilogy!Keywords: time travel romance, complete series, historical fiction, historical romance, time travel fiction, time travel historical romance, time travel romance books, time travel books romance, Chinese historical fiction, historical fantasy, time travel books, time travel adventure, time travel alternate history, time travel alternate history, time travel complete, time travel fantasy
The Slave's Necklace
A fantastic time travel romance series set in Qing Dynasty Era China. Kill the Empress, save China.That is what people from all sides are telling Jiayi. She not only has the power to kill the empress, but to set up a new future for China. Jiayi has spent her life as a palace slave. Freedom for China could mean a lifetime of servitude for her.And Jiayi is tired of living for everyone else.As Jiayi’s powers grow, she finds herself living more and more in the past, even as the future is barreling toward her.Zhihao’s past is catching up with him, leaving death and heartache in its wake. Zhihao is going to have to make a choice, but he isn’t sure he can do it alone.Jiayi and Zhihao stand on the precipice of a new world. But they will only survive if they can overcome the past and stand together, no matter how much it hurts.Get lost in time in this thrilling conclusion to the Touching Time Trilogy!Keywords: time travel romance, complete series, historical fiction, historical romance, time travel fiction, time travel historical romance, time travel romance books, time travel books romance, Chinese historical fiction, historical fantasy, time travel books, time travel adventure, time travel alternate history, time travel alternate history, time travel complete, time travel fantasy
The Child's Curse
An exciting prequel to the fantastic time travel historical romance series, Touching Time. In a single moment, her life was no longer her own…On the streets of Peking, Sparrow survives by picking pockets and stealing food from street vendors, until the day she touches an item that sends her hurtling through time, awakening a power in her she cannot control or understand.Sparrow is forced to use her “trick” to tell fortunes, an endeavor that is exhausting at best, and deadly at worst. Every day becomes a nightmare that Sparrow is afraid she will never escape.But then she catches the attention of the Empress herself. A woman of immeasurable cruelty and power—the woman with the ability to change Sparrow’s destiny forever…Don’t miss The Child’s Curse, the exciting prequel to the Touching Time Trilogy.Keywords: free book, free romance book, free fantasy, free novel, romance books free, free books to read and download, time travel romance, complete series, historical fiction, historical romance, free time travel books, free time travel romance, time travel fiction, time travel historical romance, time travel romance books, time travel books romance, Chinese historical fiction, historical fantasy
The Emperor's Seal
A fantastic time travel romance series set in Qing Dynasty Era China. The Emperor’s Seal – the divine symbol of the Emperor on earth – is missing. The Empress will do whatever it takes to get it back. Jiayi has a gift – she can travel through time just by touching historical artifacts. More than anything, she wants to escape the clutches of the Empress and run away to a foreign land. Finding the Emperor’s Seal could be her only chance at freedom, but is she willing to risk the wrath of the Empress? Historian and wannabe archaeologist Zhihao has no love for the Empress or the Qing Dynasty, but when the Empress orders him to find the Emperor’s Seal in exchange for funding China’s first history museum, he cannot refuse. It is only after he accepts the assignment that he realizes the key to finding the seal lies in the hands of a palace slave. Civil unrest and encroaching foreign powers threaten Jiayi and Zhihao's mission and lives as they hunt for The Emperor's Seal.Keywords: time travel romance, complete series, historical fiction, historical romance, time travel fiction, time travel historical romance, time travel romance books, time travel books romance, Chinese historical fiction, historical fantasy, time travel books, time travel adventure, time travel alternate history, time travel alternate history, time travel complete, time travel fantasy, sale, discount, great deal, new deal
The Other Empress
In this exciting novel from USA Today best-selling author Amanda Roberts, the story of the slow march toward the fall of the Qing Dynasty comes to life in vivid detail, revealing a world of love, sex, ambition, and intrigue surrounding the world of empresses, princesses, consorts, and concubines, and the emperors they served.History books may tell about the fall of the Qing Dynasty. But they haven't told my story…Born to a family of wealth and privilege, Zhenxiu was trained from a young age to become the wife of a very powerful man, though she prayed it would not be Prince Yizhu, the future Xianfeng Emperor, a man with cruel and salacious appetites. The sudden death of the prince's consort, however, thrusts fifteen-year-old Zhenxiu into the prince's bed and the center of the Qing Court, a court still reeling from the aftershocks of the Opium War.Zhenxiu finds solace in the friendship of a girl named Lanhua, and she does her best to help her friend rise in the emperor's estimation. When the emperor dies and leaves only Lanhua's five-year-old son as his heir, Zhenxiu finds herself as the de facto ruler of China, a position she was never trained to occupy. As she leans more and more on Lanhua for help, she slowly comes to realize that Lanhua's ambition has no bounds. An ambition that could get them both killed.The Other Empress is a riveting historical drama that brings to light the story of an empress who stood at the helm of the Qing Dynasty for more than twenty years. An empress overshadowed by the strong presence of the woman who would prove to be her dearest friend—and her most dangerous rival.Keywords: historical fiction, historical Chinese fiction, 19th century, China, Qing Dynasty, Philipa Gregory, Amy Tan, saga, series, epic, Asia, classics, dark ages, royalty, dark history, royal, imperial, genealogy, medieval, middle ages, kings, queen, emperor, empress, romance, drama
Shadow Of The Fox (Shadow of the Fox, Book 1)
‘One of my all time favourite fantasy novels!’ Ellen Oh, author of the Prophecy and Spirit Hunters series The first book in a brand-new series set in ancient Japan from New York Times bestselling author Julie Kagawa. Enter a beautiful and perilous land of shapeshifters and samurai, kami and legends, humans and demons...a world in which Japanese mythology and imagination blend together When destiny calls, legends rise. Every millennium the missing pieces of the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers are hunted, for they hold the power to call the great Kami Dragon from the sea and ask for any one wish. As a temple burns to the ground Yumeko escapes with its greatest treasure – the first piece of the scroll. And when fate thrusts her into the path of a mysterious samurai she knows he seeks what she has. Kage is under order to kill those who stand in his way but will he be able to complete his mission? Will this be the dawn that sees the dragon wake? Fans of Sarah J. Maas, Marie Lu, Cassandra Clare will be captivated by this enchanting new series. Readers adore Julie Kagawa’s Shadow of the Fox! ‘Hands down one of the best books I've read this year!’ ‘This book was amazing! If you love Japanese folklore, assassins, Samauri, Ronins, adventures, magic...this is the book for you!’ ‘The world building was phenomenal, she gives us so much detail and history that I was CRAVING for more!’ ‘Shadow of the Fox is one of the best fantasy books I've ever read.’ ‘If you want an action-packed fantasy set in historical Japan, with samurais, spirits, and demon-slayers, and a dash of romance, please pick up this book!’ ‘I don't have enough stars to give Julie Kagawa for this book!’ ‘Full of magic, mayhem, and ahmazing folklore, Julie Kagawa created a beautifully intricate world that was so fun to get lost in. I loved it️!’ ‘I couldn't finish this book fast enough! I loved this and can't wait for the next book to be released already!!!’ ‘MIND BLOWN!’ *** Shadow of the Fox series Book #1: Shadow of the FoxBook #2: Soul of the SwordBook #3: Night of the Dragon