All Woman and Springtime

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Before she met Il-sun in an orphanage, Gi was a hollow husk of a girl, broken from growing up in one of North Korea’s forced-labor camps. A mathematical genius, she has learned to cope with pain by retreating into a realm of numbers and calculations, an escape from both the past and present. Gi becomes enamored of the brash and radiant Il-sun, a friend she describes as “all woman and springtime.” But Il-sun’s pursuit of a better life imperils both girls when her suitor spirits them across the Demilitarized Zone and sells them as sex workers, first in South Korea and then in the United States.This spellbinding debut, reminiscent of Memoirs of a Geisha, depicts—with chilling accuracy—life behind North Korea’s iron curtain. But for Gi and Il-sun, forced into the underworld of human trafficking, their captivity outside North Korea is far crueler than the tight control of their “Dear Leader.” Tenderhearted Gi, just on the verge of womanhood, is consigned to a fate that threatens not only her body but her mind. How she and Il-sun endure, how they find a path to healing, is what drives this absorbing and exquisite novel—from an exciting young Algonquin discovery—to its perfectly imagined conclusion.From BooklistDebut novelist Jones conducts a compelling psychological tour of life inside the socially and politically restrictive borders of North Korea via the poignant stories of two young girls on the cusp of womanhood. Gi, a mathematical genius compelled to keep her gifts hidden, nevertheless survives the seemingly inescapable brutality and drudgery of her existence by quietly exercising the life of the mind. When Gi meets the lushly beautiful Il-sun in an orphanage, the two girls forge a strong, immutable bond. They eventually escape but are then sold into sex slavery first in South Korea and later in the U.S., and it’s not difficult to guess who will flame out and who will triumph. This tale of female friendship is distinguished by its illuminating glimpse into the arcane intricacies of both an ancient and a modern culture. Guaranteed to appeal to fans of Memoirs of a Geisha (1997) and the novels of Lisa See. --Margaret Flanagan Review“Gripping.”—O, The Oprah Magazine“An eye-opening journey to the dark side of desire.”—Vogue.com“Lifting the veil on a little-known country, Brandon W. Jones’s debut novel tells the story of two North Korean teenagers escaping the authoritarian state and battling the modern-day slave trade.”—National Geographic Traveler“An all-around great read and the kind that needs and deserves to be passed around.”—Bookfoolery and Babble“Beautifully written, both in prose and plotting . . Very highly recommended.”—Devourer of Books“[A] moving, heartbreaking, yet hopeful novel.” —Salt Lake City Weekly“Compelling . . . poignant.” —Booklist “[A] terrifying and masterfully realized debut . . . Impossible to put down, this work is important reading for anyone who cares about the power of literature to engage the world and speak its often frightening truths.”—Library Journal“Dramatic . . . [A] well-paced story.”—Publishers Weekly“This book will open your eyes, break your heart, and then mend it again.”—Tayari Jones, author of *Silver Sparrow*“One of the most absorbing, chilling, beautifully written and important novels I’ve read in many years.”—Alice Walker“Riveting and utterly compelling to the very end.” —Wisconsin Bookwatch (Wisconsin Bookwatch )