Introduction

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Excerpt

After that first week in Seoul, Allison understood more clearly what Mina’s world must have been like growing up. On the afternoons that she explored tiny alleyways of crumbling houses, the old women with their short permed hair staring impassively at her, the men squatting in the streets smoking cigarettes and appraising her without shame, she guessed how it felt. To be the only one. To be noticed whether you wanted to or not. To not be able to disappear. ... view entire excerpt...

Discussion Questions

1. Wayne believes in lying to protect his family, while Allison believes in finding out the truth at the possible expense of her family. Who do you sympathize with most? Who do you believe is right—Wayne or Allison?

2. Two men in Allison’s life, her father Wayne, and her boss (and former lover) Ray, have affairs when they’re married. What similarities are there between the two men and Allison’s relationship to them? How are they different?

3. Mina believes she must find her biological parents to understand her own identity, yet Wayne and Bonnie believe her identity is with the family she was raised in. Why do each feel that way, and who do you sympathize with most?

4. The Korea Wayne experiences in the late 1970s and the Korea Allison experiences in 2010 is dramatically different. Which Korea surprised you the most and why?

5. At the end of the novel, Bonnie admits she knew that Wayne was the father of Mina, but accepted it because she’d wanted another child so badly. Was Bonnie’s decision to ignore the truth to get what she wanted ultimately helpful or hurtful to her family? Why do you believe so?

6. The Gwangju Rebellion is the catalyst for many events in the novel. Han Soo goes into exile, eventually becoming a Buddhist monk. Wayne believes that Korea will collapse and he must save Mina, while Sunny gives up Mina in order to save Han Soo, believing she will never see any of them again. How did these three characters move on from this traumatic event? Do you believe they made the correct choices in the aftermath?

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»	Visit author Sybil Baker's web site for reviews, contact info and more.

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