Could you marry a man you’ve never met? Three Korean women in 1918 make a life-changing journey to Hawaii, where they will marry, having seen only photographs of their intended husbands.
Different fates await each of these women. Hongju, who dreams of a marriage of ‘natural love’, meets a man who looks twenty years older than his photograph; Songhwa, who wants to escape from her life of ridicule as the granddaughter of a shaman, meets a lazy drunkard. And then there’s Willow, whose 26-year-old groom, Taewan, looks just like his image …
Real life doesn’t always resemble a picture, but there’s no going back. And while things don’t turn out quite as they’d hoped, even for Willow, they do find something that makes their journey worthwhile — each other.
Read some great reviews from our Preview readers here:
A story of sheer resilience and moving sacrifice, honestly a 10 out of 10. A young Korean woman named Willow leaves her small town through a picture marriage in search of a better life in the United States, specifically Hawaii. This historical fiction novel will have you simultaneously in tears and laughing with your heart cracked wide open. The characters Geum-yi writes about have such amazing depth and charisma that they leap out of the pages of this beautiful book and beckon you to come and join them. Both the telling and translation of this story are well-done and while it is set within the early 1900s, this book makes you think about immigration and political policies in place today. Is the American Dream still alive? And what is Willow’s version of this Dream and has she achieved it? I wish I could read it all again with fresh eyes. We need more books like this! Maddie, ACT, 5 Stars
Wow! What a great historical read about a time and culture I did not know much about, The Picture Brides. I really felt like I travelled with the characters from their homeland to their new residences and watched them grow from young to old and the trials and tribulations that life threw at each one of them. A great read. Mel, VIC, 5 Stars
In 1910 and it was a common practice for Korean women to have their photos sent to matchmakers in Hawaii who tried to find brides for the men. Many Koreans had gone to Hawaii to help on the land but there was a shortage of women. Willow the main character was matched with 26 year old Taewan, who seemed quite distant to her when they met. Some of the women when they arrived found their husbands to be much older than the pictures they had been sent. Willow did her best to be a good wife and enjoyed the company of her elderly father in law. She found work and helped add to the family income. We follow the lives of 3 of the women told through Willow’s voice, the ups and downs of life in Hawaii. This is a lovely book, well written, with a very good story line. Covers a fascinating time in history in that part of the world. Lyndsay, QLD, 5 Stars
A beautiful tale following the adventure of a picture bride in the early 1900s who strived to improve her life. It was a wonderful read! A great insight into this style of life. Sarah, QLD, 5 Stars
Thank you to the Better Reading Team for my advance reading copy. I enjoyed reading the historical fiction set in Hawaii in the early 1900s when Korean women came to Hawaii as picture brides. The story starts in Korea which was ruled by Japan at that time and moved to Hawaii. Most of the immigrants work on the Hawaiian plantation. The story is about hope and struggles to live the dream of independence. Margaret, NSW, 5 Stars
The Picture Bride by Lee Geum-yi is a beautifully well researched historical novel exploring the history of Korean settlers in Hawaii. In 1910 the American government approved of picture brides for the Korean men who migrated to Hawaii a decade earlier to work on the sugar plantations, in the hopes of curbing alcohol and gambling addictions. Basically it was a match making system where single men sent photos of themselves (generally with some dishonesty on the men’s part) to entice young Korean girls to a much better life. The book follows the journey of three picture brides through their struggles, disappointments, hardships, strength and friendship. The book also explored the Japanese takeover of Korea and the division it caused among the Korean community in Hawaii. The three main characters of the book Willow, Hong-ju and Songhwa were well developed and the plot moved forward fluidly. I really enjoyed reading The Picture Bride and highly recommend the book to historical fiction lovers! Ilona, VIC, 5 Stars
A historical fiction of the Korean picture brides who immigrated to Hawaii to meet their ‘husbands’. We follow the lives of Willow and her two friends who make their way from a small Korean town to Hawaii to meet their husbands who they know only by a single photo. An interesting and fascinating journey as we see how the women navigate their new lives in a foreign country. #BRPreview Nektaria, VIC, 4 Stars
The Picture Bride by Lee Geum-yi is an historical novel about 3 young women who leave Japanese-controlled Korea in the early part of the 20th century, bound for Hawaii where they will each marry. Their grooms are completely unknown to them, except for their names and a photograph of each. As an immigrant myself, I really identified with the mixed emotions of leaving your home and all you know in the hopes of making a better future in a faraway country. The ups and downs of the character’s lives kept me engaged and I learned some interesting facts about the history of Korea and Hawaii. If you like historical fiction this is one for you. Aidan, NSW, 4 Stars
What a glorious read! Filled with heartbreak and warmth. A true reflection of the determination and grit women show, especially when faced with difficult situations. Thank you for bringing this Korean masterpiece to English. I feel more knowledgeable and driven just having read it! Melissa, QLD, 4 Stars
This story immersed me in the mind and life of a Korean bride taking an enormous leap of faith to marry a stranger on the other side of the world. Her thoughts, behaviours and expectations were at first alien to my western thinking, but the delight of this book is how you gradually come to live inside her skin. Don’t expect gal pal hijinks, neatly resolved plot lines or feminist fightback. Do expect a gentle story of friendship and commitment, in the context of the period (1918 onwards). My expectations and enjoyment would have been improved by reading the author’s and translator’s notes first, rather than at the end where they’re included in the book. It wasn’t an easy/relaxing read for me, but it’s really stayed with me and the more I think about it the higher I rate it. It’s made me reconsider issues around migration, culture and assimilation in a new light. Lisa, QLD, 4 Stars
The Picture Bride has been one of my favourite reads this year. I thought it was a beautiful, believable story and found myself very heavily invested in the characters and how their lives would pan out. Without giving anything away, the last part of the book was a big wow, that I did not see coming! Jaana, TAS, 4 Stars
I never really knew much about ‘Picture Brides’ but through this novel I was intrigued by their lives and their relationships (especially the friendships developed amongst the brides). I thoroughly recommend this book. Amanda, TAS, 4 Stars
The Picture Bride is one of those rare finds – a book that is highly readable and enjoyable, and that also teaches you something. I had never before heard of picture brides, so it was really interesting finding about this element of Korean/Hawaiian history. Through the eyes of three Korean women we learn about their life of hardship in Korea, and why, for each of their own reasons, they took the huge leap of faith of going to America to marry a man they had never met – based solely on a photo and the words of a matchmaker. They had high hopes both for the man they would marry, and the country of America, where, they were told, clothes and shoes grew on trees, and money could be swept up off the street. Needless to say, the reality was vastly different. In Hawaii they faced different, harsh challenges than in their homeland, but the friendship between the women, and the extended Korean community allowed them to survive and eventually thrive. A neat and poignant plot twist at the end reinforces what it is to be ‘family’. Kate, VIC, 4 Stars
It took several pages to get into this novel, partly due to my lack of knowledge of Korean culture, history and names. I had to reread sections to establish who was who, forms of address etc – then I couldn’t put it down. I love historical fiction and this book was an eye-opener and worth the effort to push through. It begins in early 1900s Korea. Willow lives in poverty in a small village. Females are unimportant, often have no name, are mostly uneducated and meals are uncertain, but Willow can sew and read a little. In the hope of a better life, she becomes one of three village females to migrate to Hawaii to marry Korean men, joining many other Picture Brides. Reality often didn’t meet the fantasy of photos sent by the men, leaving many brides devastated, including her two friends. Willow draws on her inner strength to forge a life as a wife, but it’s far from the one she imagined. A story of hope and friendship. Thank you to Better Reading and Scribe for the ARC. Pamela, QLD, 4 Stars
The Picture Bride is based on the true stories of Korean women who left their families – and often abject poverty – in Korea to become ‘picture brides’ to Korean men in Hawaii. Unfortunately what was promised by the men in Hawaii wasn’t often delivered, and the story follows the life of Willow, a young woman who heard that in Hawaii everyone can get an education, and clothes and shoes grow on trees! On arrival in Hawaii, Willow finds she is to marry a man who is totally uninterested in her because he was forced into the marriage by his unwell father. She also discovers that clothes and shoes don’t grow on trees and she has been consigned to a difficult life working on a plantation. Matters are further complicated when her husband becomes heavily involved in the Korean independence movement, and he grows more interested in defending Korea’s independence from the Japanese than his wife and young family. I loved Willow’s grit and determination to make the best out of what would have been an incredibly difficult situation, and the story taught me a lot about both Korea’s history and the everyday struggles of the Korean immigrants to Hawaii. Dariel, WA, 4 Stars
Thank you for the opportunity to read about a subject I had no knowledge about. This story is about the life of Willow as a picture bride in the 1900’s who went to Hawaii to find a better life as a bride. We are involved in her new life as a new bride. It tells us about her journey from Korea to Hawaii and the discovery of her new husband. How difficult it was for these very young women in a new country and the journey to find a home for herself and young family. The difficult situation when her husband left to follow his dream. The end of the story left me wondering what happens next. The description of life was enough to be thankful that I live in 2022. The change for these young women was so hard. Pat, QLD, 4 Stars
The Picture Bride is a story of history, women and the immigrant experience. The English translation is entertaining and flows well. The story of Willow and her picture bride sisters is engaging, though it drags a little in the middle, bogged down by Korean politics, and then a firecracker plot twist goes off at the end and isn’t explored. Overall, it’s an interesting fictional exploration of an unusual marriage custom, and the centering of the female experience makes it a worthy contribution to ‘herstory’. Kate, NSW, 4 Stars
The Picture Brides was a fascinating insight into a part of history that I’d never known of. The story of Willow and her sister brides travelling into an unknown future – which rarely lived up to the dreams they were sold – was at times devastating. I found the men in the story unbelievably frustrating (and many of them quite selfish), the women were stoic and brave. I loved that the story jumped forward in time to Willow’s daughter Pearl and her own dreams, as well as an unexpected but nicely handled plot twist. I would absolutely recommend this book – it’s wet my appetite to learn more. Sara, NSW, 4 Stars
Could you leave your homeland to marry a man you’ve never met? The Picture Bride is a historical novel from the early 1900s through to the mid-1940s. It tells the story of three young women who leave Korea for Hawaii as ‘picture brides’. The main character Willow is determined to better herself and she is at the centre of the story. Hers is a story of resilience and also of the importance of female friendships. It is an interesting read and I felt engaged throughout. The story is translated from Korean but I felt this was well done and did not impact on the reading. If you enjoyed Pachinko, I’m sure this is up your alley. Sue, NSW, 4 Stars
Very easy reading story about the lives of 3 Korean picture brides from the same village. Based on the history of immigration to Hawaii and what life was like moving to the unknown. Easy to get drawn into Willows’s life and struggles to adapt to her new life and family thereafter. Kristen, NSW, 4 Stars
A straightforward, page-turner charting the history of early Korean communities in Hawaii, through the personal experiences of women known as the picture brides. These were women who left their families in Korea to start afresh as wives of Korean men working on Hawaii’s sugar plantations. Overall, I thought the plot of the book was great. The writing style was super easy to understand even though the book was translated to English. All in all, it was a great book. Jessica, NSW, 4 Stars
A masterfully crafted historical fiction novel about female friendship during times of unrest and hardship, The Picture Bride is perfect for any fan of historical fiction. It felt like a privilege to read about the characters and their relationships to one another throughout this book. Alongside great storytelling, this book felt like a journey that readers will feel grateful to have gone on. Kobi, VIC, 3 Stars
The Picture Bride tells an important story about the brave women in the early 1900s that left Korea in search of a better life in Hawaii. The reality was not always what they had expected but nevertheless, they forged a life in a new world with resilience and fortitude. Intertwined with this is the history & struggles of those that fought for the independence of the country we now know as Korea. The Picture Bride Willow endures hardships and disappointments but ultimately manages to achieve a better life for her and her children. The importance and strength of the women’s friendships are integral to the novel. I enjoyed the switch to Pearl’s voice at the end but felt the author could have spent more time on the intrigues of her story and the ending feels a little unfinished in the narrative. Denise, TAS, 3 Stars
The great thing about reading translated novels is that they give such insight into another culture and life that we would otherwise miss/never know. This is a multigenerational historical novel, from 1917 Korea to Pearl Harbour in WW2, this telling of the Korean-American migration – to Honolulu, Hawaii is beautifully shared. The many Korean men and women “Picture brides” who made treacherous journeys across the ocean to a “new” life, where the turmoils and conflicts in Korea unfortunately followed and ultimately coloured this new life. Like so many tales of immigrants – this story tells of the hard work, the struggles with a different culture, and the unfulfilling of so many dreams. Lisa, NSW, 3 Stars
Willow, a young, naive girl from a poor family living in rural Korea, is chosen by a matchmaker as a potential bride for a Korean man working on a sugar plantation in Hawaii. The choice was made by the matchmaker based solely on photos, hence the term “picture bride”. Willow was told that, in Hawaii, – money and clothing grew on trees; – gold was swept up in the streets and – she would be able to realize her dream of getting an education. She was also led to believe that her future husband was a landowner. The reality in all cases was, of course, vastly different. The story follows Willow and her friends (and fellow picture brides), Hong-ju and Song-hwa as they cope with their new lives and husbands in Hawaii. Often Willow felt just as poor and hungry as she had in Korea, but with determination, hard work and the support of her friends, she made the best of it. It was an enjoyable read and an interesting story. Elva, QLD, 3 Stars
A fascinating and insightful story about a part of history that I had no idea about. Lee Geum-yi’s historical fiction account about Korean picture brides was beautifully written and describes a time of great sadness, confusion, but also resilience. Phoebe, VIC, 3 Stars
A story of love, hope and survival in a new country. Willow at 18 years old is matched to a Korean man through her photo and moves from her home and country in Korea to Hawaii as a ‘picture bride’ in 1918. She meets other ‘picture brides’ on the ship to Hawaii and they are all fearful of what life will bring to them. Willow finds her new husband to at least look like his photo whereas her travelling companions end up with men 30-40 years older than them. What a life they must endure in a loveless marriage. I found the book a little clunky and awkward to read possibly as a result of the translation but the subject matter and storyline was very interesting. Karyn, ACT, 3 Stars
Leave a Reply