The Kinship of Secrets

September 17, 2018
The lives of two sisters growing up on opposite sides of the world—one in war-torn Korea, the other in America—come to life in this finely wrought novel from Kim (The Calligrapher’s Daughter), inspired by her family’s experiences. In 1948, Najin and Calvin Cho leave Korea for America in search of a better life, taking firstborn Miran with them, but leaving their infant daughter, Inja, behind with Najin’s parents, brother, and sister-in-law. The Chos intend to return for Inja when she is older and better able to travel. But the Korean War breaks out, foiling their plans. The Chos send care packages to their family, but that doesn’t assuage their anguish at being separated. Told from each sister’s viewpoint, readers learn about their vastly different upbringings—Inja’s frightening experiences leaving her war-torn home to flee to a safer part of Korea while Marin grew up with the threat of war but in relative luxury. Yet this is also a family with deep secrets, between parents and children and between siblings, and the way these secrets impact the characters when they are finally united reflects Kim’s sharp insight into relationships. This is a stirring novel about family and the sacrifices made to keep it whole.

Left behind by her parents when they immigrate to the United States, young Inja grows up in war-torn Korea. Narrator Janet Song brings listeners this moving novel, based on a true story, telling it in a tender voice at a quick pace. She captures the confusion and loneliness of Inja's childhood by creating a gentle and youthful persona. Song also takes us into the frustration of the other sister, Miran, who is never allowed to forget the sister she doesn't know. Song helps listeners feel the anxiety, loss, and frustration of this family separated by war, geography, and practical considerations as she recounts this emotional journey. M.R. � AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine