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Daughters of the Dragon
Daughters of the Dragon: A Comfort Woman's Story | William Andrews
5 posts | 11 read | 5 to read
When twenty-year-old Anna Carlson travels from America to a Korean orphanage to locate her birth mother, she's devastated to learn the woman is already dead. But just when it seems her search is over, a stranger hands her a parcel containing an antique comb--and an address. That scrap of paper leads Anna to the Seoul apartment of the poor yet elegant Hong Jae-hee. Jae-hee recounts an epic tale that begins with the Japanese occupation of Korea and China during World War II, when more than two hundred thousand Korean women were forced to serve the soldiers as "comfort women." Jae-hee knows the story well--she was one of them. As Jae-hee's narrative unfolds, Anna discovers that the precious tortoiseshell comb, with its two-headed ivory dragon, has survived against all odds through generations of her family's women. And as its origins become clearer, Anna realizes that along with the comb, she inherits a legacy--of resilience and courage, love and redemption--beyond her wildest imagination.
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GirlWellRead
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This was an ambitious topic, not only is Andrews writing historical fiction, about another culture, but also as a female. For the most part, I would say he pulls it off. The difference in the rating for me between a four and a five star review is that the narration was made up of short choppy sentences and this abrupt writing style between the passages of dialogue was distracting for me as a reader and the story then became a bit forced.

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GraciesLibrary
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This book deals with events that took place during the Japanese occupation of Korea. Now long since past, they are but bitter memories that an old “comfort woman” survivor imparts to her long lost granddaughter who was adopted as an infant and raised in America. Though a work of fiction, the novel is based on historical facts depicting horrific acts against innocent Korean girls. A story of courage and resilience well worth reading.

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Donnasmiles
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I so loved this book. The story pulled me in and during reading I absolutely had to travel down the rabbit hole for more information on a subject I knew nothing about. The story of "comfort women" who were sent to rape camps to provide sex to the Japanese soldiers during WW II was at times hard to take.
It was a brutal read at times but the story was beautiful.

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ptkpepe98
Pickpick

Finished this work of fiction last week, but couldn't post earlier. Excellent story, albeit tough at times. The subtitle says it all: "A Comfort Woman's Story."

I learned a lot about Korean culture and history, which is always a treat when reading. To know that these women fought so hard to simply be acknowledged as victims of rape, and not willing participants, speaks volumes of their courage and tenacity.

Yes, read this, even though...

Donnasmiles I just got it from Libby...excited to get going on it. 6y
ptkpepe98 @Donnasmiles ... It's tough going at times, but it's good. I look forward to your thoughts.😀 6y
Donnasmiles What a great read! 6y
ptkpepe98 I thought so, too. 6y
7 likes4 comments