White Chrysanthemum

By: Mary Lynn Bracht

Narrated by: Greta Jung

Length: 10 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

Lisa Wingate’s Before We Were Yours and Min Jin Lee’s Pachinko, a deeply moving novel that follows two Korean sisters separated by World War II.

Korea, 1943. Hana has lived her entire life under Japanese occupation. As a haenyeo, a female diver of the sea, she enjoys an independence that few other Koreans can still claim. Until the day Hana saves her younger sister from a Japanese soldier and is herself captured and transported to Manchuria. There she is forced to become a "comfort woman" in a Japanese military brothel. But haenyeo are women of power and strength. She will find her way home.

South Korea, 2011. Emi has spent more than 60 years trying to forget the sacrifice her sister made, but she must confront the past to discover peace. Seeing the healing of her children and her country, can Emi move beyond the legacy of war to find forgiveness?

Suspenseful, hopeful, and ultimately redemptive, White Chrysanthemum tells a story of two sisters whose love for each other is strong enough to triumph over the grim evils of war.

©2018 Mary Lynn Bracht (P)2018 Penguin Audio

Excellent

Excellent book on a disturbing part of history. Narrator was very easy to listen to. I highly recommend this book.

Outstanding!

I finished this book in 2 days! It hooked me in from the very beginning. This is only the 2nd book I've encountered about this group of Korean sea diving women. It was an excellent plot alternating between 2 sisters in different points in their lives, one during WWII and one much later as an elderly woman. The characters are very well developed and it shows an entirely different aspect of the war, one that unfortunately is a tragedy seen in all wars. I have to say this is one of the best Audible books I've listened to and I highly recommend it.

Amazing tribute. Must read.

Not for the faint of heart, there is a lot of violence against women portrayed in this book. But it had me hooked. In the end, I have to say this is a beautiful tribute to women victims of war. I highly recommend.

Amazing listen and read!

I couldn’t put this down! Great story and excellent narration! I loved the characters, connected to them and felt their pain.

Wonderful story

White Chrysanthemum is a story of a young girl who endures unthinkable sadness. I found myself riveted, not wanting to stop listening. The historical aspect makes this story even more intriguing. Excellent book!

Some little known casualties of military conflict

This book starts a little slow, but don’t give up. It picks up and is absolutely compelling, shedding light on a situation of which most Westerners have been unaware. And it does so in a first person relatable narrative.

Must Read!

Loved this book so much! Very sad and tough story but a part of history that we must remember. Much love goes out to the Korean women who were subjected to such harsh treat by the Japanese during WWII.

Beautifully written and wonderfully read!

This one is not easy to listen to but is a beautiful tribute to the ‘comfort women’ snatched from their homes.
Highly recommend!

Interesting

I found this book very interesting. I didn’t know of the comfort women. I knew rape happened during wars but not to this extent. Thank you for an intriguing book and a lesson in history.

Who knew?

Heartbreaking chapter in history that I never learned in high school. Well written though hard to listen to at times because of the human cruelty.