Crystal Hana Kim esplora le complessità della connessione umana e delle dinamiche familiari, addentrandosi spesso in temi di identità culturale e traumi generazionali. La sua prosa è caratterizzata da un'acuta intuizione psicologica e da una qualità lirica che rivela profonde verità emotive. Il lavoro di Kim interroga le nozioni di appartenenza, perdita e la ricerca di sé in un mondo turbolento. La sua scrittura offre ai lettori un profondo esame dello spirito umano e delle complessità della vita.
"A hauntingly poetic family drama and coming-of-age story that reveals a dark corner of South Korean history through the eyes of a small community living in a reformatory center-a stunning work of great emotional power from the critically acclaimed author of If You Leave Me"--
An emotionally riveting debut novel about war, family, and forbidden love, the unforgettable saga of two ill-fated lovers in Korea and the heartbreaking choices they're forced to make in the years surrounding the civil war that still haunts us today. When the communist-backed army from the north invades her home, sixteen-year-old Haemi Lee, along with her widowed mother and ailing brother, is forced to flee to a refugee camp along the coast. For a few hours each night, she escapes her family's makeshift home and tragic circumstances with her childhood friend, Kyunghwan. Focused on finishing school, Kyunghwan doesn't realize his older and wealthier cousin, Jisoo, has his sights set on the beautiful and spirited Haemi, and is determined to marry her before joining the fight. But as Haemi becomes a wife, then a mother, her decision to forsake the boy she always loved for the security of her family sets off a dramatic saga that will have profound effects for generations to come. Richly told and deeply moving, If You Leave Me is a stunning portrait of war and refugee life, a passionate and timeless romance, and a heartrending exploration of one woman's longing for autonomy in a rapidly changing world.