Blossoms and Bayonets

As a former resident of Korea (I was a Peace Corps volunteer there in the 1970s) and a student of its language, history, and culture, I enjoyed this book very much. It tells a story that is often overlooked, about the brutal Japanese rule before and during WWII. We're all familiar with the concept of “comfort women”–the sex slaves that the Japanese forced into service from Korea and their other “colonies”–but this book puts a face on that atrocity, as well as the conscription of young Korean men and the abuse of Korean patriots.

The story is told by three narrators–two Korean boys and their mother–beginning from just before the start of the war. It's a harrowing tale, and one definitely worth reading.