Author: Kang Sok-kyong
Translated by: Choi Kyong-do
Publisher: Heinemann, 1997
Original title: 가까운 골짜기, 1989
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Written by one of South Korea’s most popular authors, “The Valley Nearby”is a beautiful tale of a woman attempting to reconcile cultural tradition with her need for individuality and freedom. Living in the isolation of the country, Yun-hee is engaged in a solitary struggle. Her two worlds, that of a rural housewife and that of an advocate for equality, are at odds with each other. Although she reveres a mother who calls her husband “Master,” Yun-hee still hopes that one day things might be different for her daughter.
LKL says:
If nothing much happens in the book, it does not really matter. You can immerse yourself in the characters’ lives, enjoying their struggles with their art and their neighbours as the seasons turn. Kang Sok-Kyong herself was a painter before she became a writer, and her artistic sensibilities show through in this work.
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