By Jean Schroeder, The IDEA School, Tucson, AZ, and Holly Johnson, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
Jean Schroeder and Holly Johnson discuss four historical fiction novels that are relevant to current issues this month. They revisit two novels that are considered classic novels while also introducing a couple of newer books.
HOLLY: This book was riveting! I was THERE with 12-year-old Sora and her 8-year-old brother Youngsoo as they made their way south to Busan, Korea, after they were separated from their family in December, 1950. What was happening in Korea in 1950? The Korean War is on the brink of breaking out, which serves as the setting and backdrop to a story about people who are desperate to get through the Iron Curtain control of communist North Korea before the border closes and they remained trapped by the oppressive regime.
Sora’s family struggles to make the decision to leave or stay, but eventually decides to leave after noticing how many from their village have slipped away under darkness. They know war is coming, and they need to get to Busan and safety. They depart on the 400-mile trek to Busan where they have relatives, and join the throngs of others also willing to risk everything to escape. When Sora and Youngsoo are separated from their parents and third sibling by an incendiary bomb that creates chaos within the group they are traveling with, Sora must take on the responsibility of Youngsoo. He is the more valued child within the family, and the culture, even though he is not the eldest. He is male, and thus, Sora must protect him and get him safely to their family in Busan. It is a harrowing journey. It is difficult to describe how horrendous the circumstances. Author Julie Lee paints a vivid, and often painful, picture of what these two youngsters have to endure in their escape. So why do I find this book so remarkable? Because it tells a story of honor and perseverance, survival and female leadership, and let’s readers into a world of which we know very little.
North Korea has been largely in focus for the last several years, but we know so little about the Korean War. It is often called the Forgotten War since it seldom appears in our history books. We don’t know much about the separation of the Korean peninsula, the displacement of so many, or the stories of individuals and families who made their way to freedom by traversing such difficult environmental and societal conditions. What did you think of the book, Jean? What issues do you see between the conditions within Brother’s Keeper and today?
JEAN: I loved this book as well, for many of the same reasons. I was glad to see something about the Korean War to begin to fill that void. The horrors of war are defined in many ways in this story—the intimidation to keep people in fear, the decisions families made to escape tyranny. Trust was non-existent since you could not trust the military, nor could you trust your neighbors. I cannot imagine living in a fake grave to avoid capture. Then there are the horrors that Sora and Youngsoo endure along the way. Watching the suffering of their fellow travelers when they make decisions that bring harm or death. Sora does show incredible leadership in her careful choices. She upholds expectations of the female role in her culture though she fights it as well. I loved that she is the one that is so determined to get a formal education that goes beyond food preparation and serving the men in her life. Yet, she knows that is the expectation and based many decisions on that. Like many of us today, she could hear her mother’s voice scolding her. Mothers have that kind of influence whether they are nearby or not.
One of the other things that got me worried when reading such a story is nourishment. How do two young souls travel 400 miles eating as little food with so few calories, let alone calories with nutritional value, find the strength and energy to continue such a journey? This makes me believe in the mental nourishment we absorb from parents, experiences, reading, and school that lead us to making the choices we make and the directions we take. The author portrays Sora’s character so that readers are able to follow her thinking and understand what she decides and how she came to her decisions.
HOLLY: Yes, I think mental stamina is really highlighted in this book, and it takes Sora a long way in respect to what she had to endure. That girl is resilient! And ultimately that resilience not only rescues her but leads her onward. I often wonder how much young people think about resilience and mental strength. We see it a lot in those who overcome, or who perform well in sports or other situations that challenge us, like war, or getting lost in the wilderness, or overcoming an illness or accident. I guess I wonder about how often mental stamina, perseverance, and resilience are woven into our daily lives, but it is only in extraordinary circumstances that we recognize it. I imagine I cannot know how often others draw upon such attributes within themselves, and in what kind of circumstances. We are all so different, even as we might face similar circumstances within our lives. Yes, this book is a great venue for considering how much mental strength is needed in both the dire and the daily. I can see where it might be a transformative discussion or study.
JEAN: Besides the perilous journey Sora navigates, she also initiates a second one with her fight against the cultural norms that define the expectations of Korean girls and women. Sora longs to go to school, but the cultural expectation is domestic: cooking, cleaning, and serving the boys and men. The fight to question openly and change a long-established culture also calls on that mental strength, stamina, perseverance, and resilience that you refer to, Holly. In many ways it is the more difficult journey Sora embarks on.
I loved this book. It is an engaging story that offers so many opportunities for talk. There are questions to be asked and issues to discuss.
Title: Brother’s Keeper
Author: Julie Lee
ISBN: 978082344494
Publisher: Holiday House
PubDate: July 21, 2020
Throughout Spetember 2021, Jean Schroeder and Holly Johnson discuss four historical fiction novels that are relevant to today’s issues. Check back each Wednesday to follow the conversation!
- Themes: Brother's Keeper, Holly Johnson, Jean Schroeder, Julie Lee
- Descriptors: Books & Resources, My Take/Your Take