Korean American Books

Summaries and reviews of fiction and nonfiction books by Korean American authors,
books about Korean Americans and Korea, and Korean literature in English translation,
including some academic works and a sampling on the Korean War

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

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.

2 comments:

LuccaQ said...

I just read all of the books in the trilogy. The first graphic novels I've read. The artwork is beautiful as is the poetry of the story.

Book Oblate said...

What a terrific introduction to graphic novels for you! Thanks for posting.