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White Chrysanthemum

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What to expect

Random House presents the audiobook edition of White Chrysanthemum by Mary Lynn Bracht, read by Greta Jung.

'Look for your sister after each dive. Never forget. If you see her, you are safe.'

Hana and her little sister Emi are part of an island community of haenyeo, women who make their living from diving deep into the sea off the southernmost tip of Korea.

One day Hana sees a Japanese soldier heading for where Emi is guarding the day’s catch on the beach. Her mother has told her again and again never to be caught alone with one. Terrified for her sister, Hana swims as hard as she can for the shore.

So begins the story of two sisters suddenly and violently separated by war. Switch-backing between Hana in 1943 and Emi as an old woman today, White Chrysanthemum takes us into a dark and devastating corner of history. But pulling us back into the light are two women whose love for one another is strong enough to triumph over the evils of war.

A riveting, immersive read in the vein of The Kite Runner and Memoirs of a Geisha.

‘A hugely affecting, captivating read -- I cried for most of the second half.’ – Stylist

‘Beautifully written... In elegant but emotionally devastating prose Bracht conveys the heartbreaking impact of brutality and war upon women.’ – Sunday Express

Critics Review

I read it in one sitting
Observer
I would also recommend Mary-Lynn Bracht’s novel White Chrysanthemum, a story of family separation in Korea during the 20th century. I learned a lot about Korean culture in this book, but it also has a sweeping story that captivates the reader
Irish Times Summer Reads
I read Hana and Emi's story with my heart in my mouth... A bold, devastating, important novel shot through with hope and beauty
Rachel Joyce
Introduces a heart-rending seam of history… Bracht has fashioned her own memorial to the comfort women. White Chrysanthemum is a timely and furiously felt book
Guardian
A hugely affecting, captivating read -- I cried for most of the second half
Stylist
It's jaw-dropping, it's devastating, it's heart-breaking and absolutely beautiful. I couldn't recommend it more
Sinead Moriarty
Beautifully written... In elegant but emotionally devastating prose Bracht conveys the heartbreaking impact of brutality and war upon women
Sunday Express
Bracht's rich detail and captivating characters bring history vividly to life. An insightful, engaging and deeply emotional page-turner
Scotsman
If you're a fan of The Kite Runner and Memoirs of A Geisha, you'll love Mary Lynn Bracht's novel... Both educating and engaging, Bracht’s rich detail and captivating characters plunge you into Korean history in a heartbreaking and deeply emotional page-turner
i newspaper
An evocative picture of loss and also an account of how one of the deepest human bonds can survive almost anything
BBC Radio 4 Today Programme
Author Mary Lynn Bracht
Narrator Greta Jung
Duration 10 hours and 39 minutes
Release Date
ISBN 9781473554177
Format Audiobook
Publisher Random House
Genre Family life fiction, Historical fiction, Modern and contemporary fiction, Narrative theme: Death, grief, loss, Second World War fiction
Availability AU, GB, IE

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