I have always wanted to travel around the world but I haven’t had the chance.  I’ve never been outside of North America.  I hope to have the chance one day but until then, I consider my self an armchair traveller via books and film.  I love books that take place in other countries so I jumped at the chance to review Korean Word For Butterfly.

Book Description:

Publisher: Create Space, March 27, 2013
ISBN-13:  978-1483997476
Category: Literary Fiction, South Korean Society
Tour Dates: February, 2014
Available in: Print & ebook, 329 pages

Set against the backdrop of the 2002 World Cup and rising anti-American sentiment due to a deadly accident involving two young Korean girls and a U.S. tank, The Korean Word For Butterfly is told from three alternating points-of-view:

Billie, the young wanna-be poet looking for adventure with her boyfriend who soon finds herself questioning her decision to travel so far from the comforts of American life;

Moon, the ex K-pop band manager who now works at the English school struggling to maintain his sobriety in hopes of getting his family back;

And Yun-ji , a secretary at the school whose new feelings of resentment toward Americans may lead her to do something she never would have imagined possible.

The Korean Word For Butterfly is a story about the choices we make and why we make them.

It is a story, ultimately, about the power of love and redemption.

My Thoughts:

As the book opens, Billie and her boyfriend Joe just arrive in South Korea and are greeted at the airport by Moon.  They are expected to start work that same day and are taken to meet the other staff and instructors from the school they are to teach English at.  As the story progresses we learn that the two have a secret that, if it came out, would most likely cause an early dismissal, perhaps more.  We also find out that Moon and Yun-ji also carry secrets.

When we first meet people in person, we often form a first impression before they even speak. Then we modify that impression as we get to know the real person.  However, with books it can be a slower period of introduction. It took awhile for the characters in The Korean Word For Butterfly to develop enough to get to know them.  I enjoyed the processes from the beginning. From just learning there names, an out of focus picture started to pop in my head and slowly focused as the story progressed.  It was kind of like talking on the phone with a person I haven’t met face to face.

The location in South Korea became another character and developed more fully as the pages turned.  I felt like I was there as one of the U.S. or Canadian instructors teaching English to little children.  I experienced the hostility of the South Koreans when the U.S. tank ran over the two children.  That was how well written the book was.  James Zerndt rolled out the words in poetic prose.  The only thing the bugged, until I got use to it was the change in narrator when it was Moon’s turn.  He didn’t narrate himself, like the other characters.  Yet I could see why he couldn’t.

This was a very emotional book to read.  It really delved into the characters feelings and controversies. If you aren’t even willing to consider abortion as a choice, this book is probaly not for you.  Though from my prospective, it didn’t answer if it was right or wrong but the physical and emotional consequences of going through with it or not.  It allowed the reader to form their own opinion, which is the way I think it should be.

This was a book that I couldn’t put down and was sad to see end.  I highly recommend The Korean Word For Butterfly.

5/5

I downloaded the Kindle version when it was free on Amazon.  After receiving an email from the author.  No matter how I obtain a book, I give my honest opinion.

About James Zerndt:

James Zerndt lives in Portland, Oregon, with his wife and son. His poetry has appeared in The Oregonian Newspaper, and his fiction has most recently appeared in Gray’s Sporting Journal. He taught English in South Korea in 2002 and still loves kimchi.

Jamie’s short story, “The Tree Poachers”, recently won WCCHA’s fiction award. Some of his short stories have also won Honorable Mention in both Playboy’s and The Atlantic Monthly’s Fiction Contests.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JamesZerndt
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ZerndtJ
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