The Calligrapher’s Daughter

I heard the author speak at a local book festival and knew I wanted to read her book after hearing her that day. I loved this story based on a family member's life. ( )

This is the story of Najin Han from childhood to womanhood in early 20th century Korea. Najin Han begins her life on Korea's cusp of Japanese occupation as a curious child who often tests the boundaries of her small world by spying on the adult conversations of her parents. As a child she sees and experiences the beginnings of the Japanese occupation but does not completely understand it. As she matures her world changes colors and she watches the political boundaries and tests the cultural ones. From a young age she has wanted to determine her own destiny and as a result Najin grows up to be a headstrong woman, having been pulled in different directions by everyone around her. Into Korean adulthood (by age 12) her mother continues to encourage Najin to foster personal growth and even helps her pursue an education. To avoid a prearranged marriage Najin's mother sends her to a king's count to be a companion for the princess; a very unconventional idea for a woman in early 20th century Korea. Meanwhile, her father is a staunch believer in Old World traditions and customs. He fiercely tries to hold onto Korea while the country slowly loses independence. ( )

The narrative is delicate and sensitive as the mannerisms and language of traditional Korean propriety. And though the daughter of the calligrapher is born unnamed, her strength of character and unwavering discipline and grace evolves as naturally, artistically, and raw as the process of calligraphy itself. It goes without saying that the art of Korean calligraphy is one engraved with history, tradition, years of training, depth of feeling, artistic pride, and fluidity.Yes, the novel is about the Japanese occupation of Korea in the early twentieth century, but it is more so about the resilience of Korean propriety, patriotism, duty, cultural tradition and history, faith, and the strong love and bond between family, specifically, mother and daughter as shown in the characters of Najin and her Umma-nim.There are competing values in the book: tradition vs. modernism; Korea vs. Japan; propriety of women vs. men; aristocracy vs. the underprivileged; Christianity vs. Confucianism; domestication vs. pursuit of higher education; and the list goes on.What I enjoyed most about the book was the window it provided in disclosing traditional Korean propriety and the secret world of the Korean aristocracy as shown by the Emperor and its Korean royalty. Where westernized values often demean subservience, conservative cultural practices, and even domestication, as well as self-discipline (viewed as a form of rigidity)—I, myself, from an Asian background, understand their significance and appeal.The traditional propriety found in Korean practices come from an intent of honour and decorum, which I, from reading this novel, have come to truly appreciate. Others may scoff and march in bands of protest, the cries of “independence” and “liberation” and “modernism,” but I find as a native born into western culture, but raised by an ethnic (namely Asian) cultural paradigm, I feel the pull of sentimental tradition and its quiet, subdued, and subservient qualities, its actual richness— something that the west actually lacks. What could be naturally condemned in the novel by western beliefs is actually what I became nostalgic for in reading it.It’s an elegant, lyrical novel with characters who are well-versed and practiced at concealing what is a deeply rooted passion for country, culture, history, tradition, and family. A beautiful read. ( )

historical fiction, Japanese occupation, Korea, WWII, families ( )

Spanning 30 turbulent years, The Calligrapher's Daughter is a family saga with early 20th century Korean history woven in. Najin is from a privileged family, but times change quickly and centuries of tradition are clashing with more modern ideas.

When Najin's father tries to arrange a marriage between 14 year old Najin and the 12 year old son of a suitably aristocratic family, Najin's mother steps in and orchestrates her daughter's escape. Both Najin and her mother know the value of an education for a girl in Korea, and with her hard won schooling Najin is able to gain more freedom for herself. But with the Japanese occupation of Korea, life is becoming more difficult and unpredicable for everyone.

The Calligrapher's Daughter has many moments which are beautifully observed, and some lovely imagery. The story is loosely based on Kim's own mother's life and this is evident in the authentic feel of the story. So much history and culture is packed into this book, but it never overwhelms the story.

Najin is a strong and interesting character, she must juggle her own somewhat conflicting ideas of her traditional role and obligations to her family with the new ideas of personal freedoms she wants for herself. And although she's kept in the background, Najin's mother is also interesting. In a culture where females were subservient, she will not disobey her husband outright, but is very willing to work around him. Her mother is Najin's best ally.

This is a great debut, full of detail and characters you can't help but become attached to. ( )