Can't I Go Instead
ISBN10: 1250859557
ISBN13: 9781250859556
Hardcover
384 Pages
$28.99
CA$38.99
Can't I Go Instead follows the lives of the daughter of a Korean nobleman and her maidservant in the early 20th century. When the daughter’s suitor is arrested as a Korean Independence activist, and she is implicated during the investigation, she is quickly forced into marriage to one of her father’s Japanese employees and shipped off to the United States. At the same time, her maidservant is sent in her mistress's place to be a comfort woman to the Japanese Imperial army.
Years of hardship, survival, and even happiness follows. In the aftermath of WWII, the women make their way home, where they must reckon with the tangled lives they've led, in an attempt to reclaim their identities, and find their place in an independent Korea.
Reviews
Praise for Can't I Go Instead
“Can’t I Go Instead’s complex and profoundly human characters will captivate, devastate, and move you, all at once.”—Juhea Kim, author of Beasts of a Little Land and Dayton Literary Peace Prize finalist
“A true feast for historical fiction readers who love unpredictable stories and complex characters!”—Lorena Hughes, award-winning author of The Spanish Daughter
“Compelling and inspiring, this story speaks of resilience and determination to make the best out of the situation one has been dealt.”—Booklist
Reviews from Goodreads
BOOK EXCERPTS
Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER ONE
Lady Gwak’s labor pains began at dawn on April 29, 1920.
Mr. Park, the butler of the Gahoe-dong mansion in Seoul, woke everyone in the main house by hanging oil lamps in the corners where the electric lights could...