Tree of Wailing

By Won Il Song

The Wailing Tree is a powerful story set in 1920s Japanese-occupied Korea and China, tracing the trials of a family caught in the tide of history and the fight for independence.

Kim Jeong-guk, owner of a rice mill, is betrayed by his corrupt Japanese partner and forced to join the Korean independence movement, leaving his family behind. Six years later, his wife Jeong Sun-rye and their three children track him to a remote inn in Beijing. Yet poverty and hardship soon tear the family apart.

Their eldest son, Yeong-il, endures his mother's resentment and relentless abuse from the Japanese, including having the word "thief" cruelly burned onto his forehead. Despite these challenges, Yeong-il struggles to keep his family alive and grows into a strong young man through trials of violence, imprisonment, and revenge.

After a tragic reunion with his father, who has suffered unimaginable torture and loss, Yeong-il faces a harsh new reality in liberated Korea, where freedom is shadowed by suspicion, brutality, and betrayal.

The Wailing Tree is a poignant tale of sacrifice, resilience, and the unyielding spirit of those who fight for justice in the face of oppression.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1662965001
• ISBN13: 9781662965005
• Release Date: July 2025
• Publisher: Gatekeeper Press
• Length: 332 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.0" x 9.0"