The Mermaid from Jeju

October 19, 2020
Hahn’s sweeping debut follows a girl growing up on the Korean island of Jeju in the lead up to U.S. intervention. In 1944, one year before the American occupation of southern Korea begins, 18-year-old Junja has just completed the haenyeo rite of passage, meaning she’s now responsible for providing for her family by diving for mollusks. After Junja convinces her mother to let her take an annual trip to Hallasan in her mother’s place, to pay respects to the sacred mountain, the narrative picks up speed. On her way, Junja encounters two figures who will become pivotal to the Communist rebels in Jeju: Lieutenant Lee, a military officer whose loyalties secretly reside with the people of Jeju whom the Americans have labeled Communist, and who takes an interest in Junja’s family; and Suwol, a boy who shifts gears on his way to becoming a scholar to join the Communists. As Suwol goes on rebel missions while the Americans battle alongside nationalist soldiers against Communists, his relationship with Junja deepens. The star-crossed lovers finally come close to marrying when fate intervenes. Meanwhile, Lee shares information about Suwol with Junja, and even helps rescue Suwol after he’s captured by nationalist soldiers. Hahn brilliantly carries the reader through Junja’s life with interstitial chapters set in 2001, shortly after her death. With constant tension, the novel masterfully captures the devastating effects of loss and grief, and what people must do to survive war. Agent: Priya Doraswamy, Lotus Lane Literary.