Juniper Tree

“My mother, who tried to kill me, now wants to kill my son.”

The grand prize winner of the 12th Kyobo Paperback Story Contest, Kim Hae-sol’s Juniper has been published by the comprehensive publishing brand ‘Bukda’. This is the first full-length novel by an author who is active in various fields such as movies, dramas, and children’s stories. It was unanimously selected as the grand prize winner by the judges, saying that it was “an overwhelming and reckless story” (novelist Joo Won-kyu) and that “it unraveled twisted affection, obsession, and fear with an excellent psychological portrayal” (content production company Showbox).

My mother, my son, and me—the three people in “Juniper Tree” have a strong bond of blood. However, the three, who should be the closest and most sticky, push each other to the extreme. The novel shows how dangerous the idea that the safest place in the world is home and the most trustworthy person is a family can become through a dense plot and a suspenseful story. The author’s cleverness in using our old beliefs of family and home as a suspense element confuses the reader many times and makes them even more immersed in the work. After reading it, you will not be able to escape the afterglow of the book for a while.

Source: Kyobo bookstore / Microsoft translation tool

News credit: Barbara Zitwer Facebook page