Summary of the book: A retrospective look at the lives of the inhabitants of a small provincial village during the Korean War.  The book details the gradual ruination.  Of a landed gentry member obsessed by traditional Confucianism and caste order as these ideals are swept away by the changes of the time.  A chronicle of the human suffering caused by war and the subsequent collapse of the social order, it concludes with the process of healing and reconstruction.

Reasons for this choice:  Through a linguistic mesh of unsophisticated provincial dialect and mannered Chinese elocution, Mr. Moon-ku Lee traces the events of the Korean War to explore the tragedy of internecine feuding and its impact on ordinary people.  The author’s literary style imparts a rich intimacy and reality to the reader, and this particular text garnered Lee many awards.

Rights holder: Bereaved family of the author