The Color of Earth, by Kim Dong Wha

This beautifully rendered graphic novel is fairly explicit in telling the coming-of-age story of the protagonist, Ehwa, whose mother runs a tavern. Ehwa discovers her body, blossoms into her adolescence, and becomes enamored of a young monk and a farmer's son home from school with a hurt arm. She gives up the monk at the end, in favor (in her thoughts) for the farmer's son. Much flower analogies, beautiful illustrations. Mother as a tavern owner puts up with a lot of guff from her wine drinking customers, but she herself has an occasional lover, a traveling salesman. This is Part I of a trilogy. Translated by Lauren Na.