Miyoung is an 11-year-old girl living in Japan-occupied Korea in 1928. She lives with her mother and older sister Bohbeh on a farm/boarding house, dreaming of becoming a teacher one day. But under Japan occupation, her family’s finances are not as lucrative as they once were. So they send Bohbeh to Japan to marry. Miyoung hopes she can still fulfill her dream somehow, until her father reveals that he has similar plans for Miyoung. Facing the harsh gender inequality and lack of jobs available, her mother agrees to send her to live with her sister in Japan. But she soon notices the anti-Korean sentiments in Japan and decides to do her best to blend in. Changing her name to Miyoko, she gradually becomes immersed in Japanese culture, even though she loses a part of herself as the years go by. But Japan is still a growing power and increasing their militarism across the Pacific. And the Japanese government closely watches Korean immigrants and any resistance or activism brewing in the country. And as she gets older and more involved in her small community, she faces more obstacles than she had ever imagined. White Mulberry by Rosa Kwon Easton is a historical fiction novel that explores the choices a young woman must make in order to save herself and those important to her.
Book
By passing as Japanese, Miyoko is able to secure various positions that ultimately help her learn more about Japanese culture and economic inequality between Japanese citizens and Koreans living in Japan. She also finds comfort in religion, and joins a church group. Even though she can’t afford tuition to finish her schooling, she uses the resources available to her to continue her learning. She learns that her mother is ill. While she can’t make the long trip back home, she sends any money she can to help with her medical treatment. She eventually becomes a nurse aid, and uses her skills to assist the Korean community through her church. She meets Hojoon, a handsome Korean immigrant and journalist at a Korean-language newspaper. Through their relationship, she reconnects with her Korean identity and hopeful of finding a true love connection.
Unfortunately for Miyoko, her love story comes with a new life regarding her in-laws and responsibilities. She continues to work, finding a way to contribute to her new family. She continues to find comfort in her church group, even though Japan sees Christianity as a threat to their domination and closes in on religious activities. And when Japan enters WWII, all bets are off for the workforce. Miyoko gets drafted into the war as a nurse to work on the front lines. She doesn’t know if she will see her family again – or if she will even survive. So she has to decide what path she will take – risk her life on the battlefield, or become a draft dodger.
Review
Easton delivers a well-paced and emotional journey with White Mulberry. Miyoung/Miyoko make difficult decisions throughout her entire life in order to survive, and I became invested in her story early on. Through Miyoung’s experiences and tough choices she makes, readers will understand what she and many like her were up against in Japan-occupied Korea, and as Koreans in Japan. We watch her grow older and continue to face obstacles that change her. My heart broke for her and what she endured, without any real control of her own fate. While a bit slow at times, the pace picks up towards the end of the book when she has to make one final decision to secure her life and of those she loves. And when she decides to take control of her own life, despite the risks, I couldn’t help but cheer her on until the end. Readers who love historical fiction will enjoy this one. However, White Mulberry will resonate most with readers with similar dual-culture background or ancestral history.
Rosa Kwon Easton joins the Cantina Book Club Podcast to talk about how her own family history inspired the story and plans for the future. Keep an ear out for the episode and pick up a copy of White Mulberry, available December 1.
