Honey in the Wound

A Novel

By: Jiyoung Han

Narrated by: Greta Jung

A lyrical and suspenseful debut novel about a mysteriously gifted Korean family confronting the brutality of the Japanese empire, Honey in the Wound is an epic tale of survival and the reclamation of power.

A sister disappears and returns as a tiger. A mother’s voice compels the truth from any tongue. A granddaughter divines secrets in others’ dreams. These women are all of one lineage—a Korean family split across decades and borders by Japanese imperialism.

At this saga’s heart is Young-Ja, a girl who infuses food with her emotions. She revels in her gift for cooking, nourishing the people she loves with her cheerfulness. But her sunny childhood comes to an end in 1931 when Japanese soldiers crush her family’s defiance against the Empire. Young-Ja is cast adrift, her food turning increasingly bitter with grief. When a Korean rebel fighter notices her talents, however, she is whisked off to Manchuria to join a secretive sisterhood of beautiful teahouse spies. There, Young-Ja finds a new sense of belonging and starts using her abilities for the resistance. But the Imperial Army is not yet finished with her…

Decades later, Young-Ja lives alone in Seoul, withdrawn from the world until her Tokyo-born granddaughter Rinako bursts into her life with the ability to see into dreams. In cultivating a tentative bond, they confront the long-buried past in a stunning emotional climax.

As an unforgettable family perseveres in the long shadow of colonialism, Honey in the Wound transports readers to mountain forests where tiger-girls stalk, to Manchurian teahouses and opium dens where charming smiles veil secrets, and to the modern metropolises of Tokyo and Seoul where restless ghosts stir. This debut novel is a tender yet powerful multi-generational drama that shines light onto the twentieth century’s darkest corners and gives voice to those who bore witness.

Critic reviews

"Jung carries the torch of hope and strength while conveying the despair of life during war."

"Greta Jung’s narration injects great humanity into an inhumane chapter of history. Infused with magical realism, this story tells of four generations of Korean women affected by Japanese imperialism during the 1900s. Once their magical abilities are discovered, the women are conscripted to help the Japanese, yet each contributes to the Korean resistance in different and powerful ways. Jung excels at bringing listeners into the story with her flawless accents. Her voice catches with each quiver of fear, lowers with each moment of shame, brightens with each glimpse of hope, and rages with each occasion of triumph. Listeners will feel as though they are hearing an intimate family history."