Agnita Tennant – författare

Acclaimed as an important piece of modern Korean writing, this book is set against the background of the struggle between conservative and modernizing forces at the turn of the century. Comprising the first 53 chapters of Park Kyong-ni's epic novel, this translation follows the fortunes of several generations of Korean villagers during a time of turbulence and change.

First published in 1996. Written by acclaimed contemporary writers, all winners of literary awards, these stories present deeply moving human dramas. What emerges from them is a picture of a somewhat sad people - sad because they have gone through sorrowful experiences of one kind or another. But they are people who transform their sufferings into blessings through their warm humanity, whether it be a soldier, a domestic servant or an office worker.

South Korea 1957. Sukey, an intelligent graduate with much promise, falls in love with a man, Kwon, who confesses to her that he has been a North Korean spy. It is four years since the Korean War ended in a cease-fire (having started on 25 June 1950). Even though fighting is suspended, hostility and enmity towards the North is the social norm. With anti-spy campaigns, street and hotel searches, and arrests of any suspect, citizens are urged to be vigilant and to report on any suspicious goings-on. When Sukey takes on Kwon as her lover, she has little idea of what it will be like to keep an ex-spy hidden away from society, her family and friends. Her world changes overnight, and within a few months she is reduced to a nervous wreck…

Acclaimed as an important piece of modern Korean writing, this book is set against the background of the struggle between conservative and modernizing forces at the turn of the century. It follows the fortunes of several generations of Korean villagers during a time of turbulence and change.

First published in 1996. Written by acclaimed contemporary writers, all winners of literary awards, these stories present deeply moving human dramas. What emerges from them is a picture of a somewhat sad people - sad because they have gone through sorrowful experiences of one kind or another. But they are people who transform their sufferings into blessings through their warm humanity, whether it be a soldier, a domestic servant or an office worker.