Capitalists Must Starve: A Novel

By Park Seolyeon

Book Overview

From the writer and translator duo of A Magical Girl Retires, a powerful historical novel about labour activism in Japanese-occupied Korea.

Set against the backdrop of Japanese-occupied Korea, Capitalists Must Starve follows a sharp-tongued, big-hearted heroine who dares to love, rebel, and carve out space for working-class women in a world determined to silence them. Echoing the unflinching narratives of Alias Grace and the sweeping historical vision of Pachinko, this feminist historical novel balances raw grit with unexpected tenderness and a defiant streak of dark humour.

A stirring portrait of resistance from below: fierce, funny, and full of fight.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1917126212
• ISBN13: 9781917126212
• Release Date: October 2025
• Publisher: Tilted Axis Press
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.0" x 7.7"

Customer Reviews

A must read for working class feminists

I adored this book. It was thoroughly informative of the social and labor climate in 1930’s Korea. I was emotionally tied to the main character and ached for the hardships she faced. It hit even harder when I realized that the characters weren’t fictional, but rather this novel is a dramatization of an actual labor activist at the time. Despite misfortune after misfortune, Juryong keeps pushing forward. Her grit and determination gave me hope, especially in the tumultuous political climate we live in right now. This will definitely be a book that I recommend!