House of the Winds

by Mia Yun

Book Overview

1960s Korea. A girl stands in the middle of the sunny cabbage patch with her mother. The air is full of butterflies (the souls of little children in afternoon naps) and secrets (though they were not secrets at the time). House of the Winds is a portrait of a family whose lives have been deeply affected by the tumultuous long years of Japanese rule and the Korean War. And it is the story of one mother and one daughter. Young Wife is a magic-wand mother...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1566563054
• ISBN13: 9781566563055
• Release Date: January 1999
• Publisher: Interlink Books
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.5" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

A moving but tragic book

In This book, Mia Yun writes in a whole new style that i have never read, or experienced, before. It seems to flow like water; simple, yet effective, as the girl, now a woman, guides the reader into her life. She speaks in a silent but resonating voice, where she speaks of her forgotten culture, mystic and unique, and of her life, where hardships like low money, constant moves, and even her father's death are explained. She speaks of her emotions, her broken dreams, her thoughts, her hopes, and her memories, where all is unhidden like an open diary of snapshots. I truly recommend this book to anyone who wants a simple and effective book that could teach many virtues and make the reader feel like the woman of the story.

Can't praise it highly enough

What a beautiful and elegantly written book! Mia Yun writes so well but the great achievement of this book is beyond its poetic language. The characters are so real and so human and so richly developed, that the novel transported me deep into their world. The images are so vivid and so visual, I felt as though I was right there accompanying the characters living their lives. I would recommend this stunning book to anyone looking for a true literary experience!

Utterly Refreshing

I can't say enough good things about this brilliant novel. It is so different from anything I have read recently. One thing about "House of the Winds" is that it has the timesless quality we see in books that become classics. It is utterly refreshing! The book shows you how an excellent writer could tell a story so originally despite the universal theme, that is, family. Mia Yun's language is so very vivid and lyrical, so very eloquent and truthful, it moved me to tears many times. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in not only a good story-telling but also in great writing. Yun earned my admiration.

A superb and dazzling book.

I first saw that House of the Winds was chosen as one of the best books on Asia published in 1998 and then later I read that it was also a finalist for the Independent Publisher Book Award in the multi-cultural fiction category. When I finally read the novel, I was simply stunned by the beauty of the language and the sharp and piercing observations. Not only is the novel beautifully written but it is also so uncommonly moving. House of the Winds transcends its Korean setting and I regard this book a work of great world literature.

A Moving Story Wonderfully Told

House of the Winds is a wonderful novel of Korea set mainly in the 1960's but its poetic truth transcends any one country or time period. It is beautifully written without an ounce of self-pity or attempt to impress us with Asian exotica. Mia Yun makes every word count and her descriptions make us deeply feel the happiness and sorrow of the characters. This is not the fortune-cookie fiction that sometimes passes as modern Asian or Asian-American literature. This is brilliant writing often with stunning and unexpected metaphors. The understated yet moving way the writer evokes the character Bright Bijou allows us to feel the sexual awakening as well as the crushing despair of a young farm girl even though she is so different from us. I very much look forward to Mia Yun's next novel. Dean Barrett, Author, Hangman's Point