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White Chrysanthemum

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White Chrysanthemum

By: Mary Lynn Bracht
Narrated by: Greta Jung
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About this listen

Random House presents the audiobook edition of White Chrysanthemum by Mary Lynn Bracht, read by Greta Jung.

'Look for your sister after each dive. Never forget. If you see her, you are safe.'

Hana and her little sister Emi are part of an island community of haenyeo, women who make their living from diving deep into the sea off the southernmost tip of Korea.

One day Hana sees a Japanese soldier heading for where Emi is guarding the day's catch on the beach. Her mother has told her again and again never to be caught alone with one. Terrified for her sister, Hana swims as hard as she can for the shore.

So begins the story of two sisters suddenly and violently separated by war. Switchbacking between Hana in 1943 and Emi as an old woman today, White Chrysanthemum takes us into a dark and devastating corner of history. But pulling us back into the light are two women whose love for one another is strong enough to triumph over the evils of war.

A riveting, immersive read in the vein of The Kite Runner and Memoirs of a Geisha.

©2018 Mary Lynn Bracht (P)2018 Random House Audiobooks Family Life Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Small Town & Rural War & Military War Heartfelt Imperial Japan

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Critic reviews

"A hugely affecting, captivating read - I cried for most of the second half." ( Stylist)
"Beautifully written... In elegant but emotionally devastating prose Bracht conveys the heartbreaking impact of brutality and war upon women." ( Sunday Express)
All stars
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excellent story very emoitonal at times I hope more people read this
beautifully told. thankyou

white chrysanthemum

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This book is written in such a clever style, I could barely put it down ! It has opened a wide door of history I knew nothing about and I felt such empathy with the characters.
I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Totally gripping.

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Like so many other people, we learned history in school and by word, however never have i heard about so many silent wonen worriers placed in unbelivable circumstances having to offer so much to exist, if one can call it existance. It tour att my heart to realize how they have never been accnowladged.

Shocking truth

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Portrays a harrowing and important story, that must be told. Only criticism is that it almost felt a bit rushed. Felt like more could be brought out.
Really eye opening book and subject matter

Harrowing and important story

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This story had my full undivided attention from the beginning. I've always been intrigued by societies where women are recognised as by all as much more able to endure arduous, physically challenging and ultimately bread winning vocations like the Haenyeo female divers in the Korean province of Jeju.
To open with this wonderful information of one said family and then traverse into the life of their eldest daughter, stolen and forced into prostitution by Japanese soldiers, I have to say I was aghast and desperately hooked on her plight and my need for her to prevail. It was harrowing but excellently written.
I do feel and I don't like to criticise narrators but in this case, I do feel the narrator needed more passion at times and certainly lacked textural layers in her vocal delivery for the complexities of such a whirlwind of emotional and often threatening moments depicted in the book.
I felt she approached most sentences with the same intonation and luckily I'm able to tune this sort of reading out, lending my imagination to flavour the sentences. It does though make for more effort on the part of the listener. One wants to immerse one's self and hear the heart of the real writing from the story teller.
The author in my book is excellent and thank you for writing this little known or spoken about type of story in such and engaging and genuinely cared for manner.

Riveting often painful, emotionally provocative.

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Sometimes a book can be difficult to listen to, it was a book club choice and a friend who started it before me said she wasn’t sure she could continue reading it. I was not far in and enjoying it, then the tone got worse and I realised this story wasn’t for the faint hearted. But I ploughed on and with the switch back and forth between the sisters knew I had to continue. The atrocities inflicted on one human by another is beyond comprehension but these things happen and Mary Bracht and story tellers like her are helping us to understand and learn about things we don’t learn in school or later. Well written and narrated but so sad on many levels. The hope is that Hana had a good life in the end.

Difficult listen

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The story of Korean women and their suffering is told in the most thoughtful and sensitive way..as a woman I held my breath in many places and even had to go to the last chapters to reassure myself about the sisters life endings..it's beautiful because it isn’t a handbook heavy on how to badly treat women ..it holds up to the light the terrible experience of the 'Comfort Women' and others in a way that shows the strength of those women who did everything they could to survive against terrible abuse and separation ..Well done to a great book by a great author..I would completely recommend

Tender and well written

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The story of Hana and Emmie’s lives give a full incite into the atrocities of the war . I love the way the author has run their lives parallel but some 60 years apart .
What Hana endures is brutal and heartbreaking. The pain and suffering is unimaginable. It’s a tough read at times .
The bond between the sisters is tangible, this never wains even though they are torn apart.
I found myself fully encased in the story as if I was there. The narrator has the most beautiful voice and it’s so easy to become part of this story .
A must read to learn about the war against the Koreans by the Japanese and the terrible plight of the “comfort women “.

Definitely worth the read

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Not for the faint hearted because it’s quite a harrowing read, but nevertheless both educational and moving. I loved it.

Brilliant Read

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I learned a lot and while it was difficult to listen to in parts it is important and beautiful as well. the narration was very good, I don't know why some others didn't like it, but everyone has their own preferences!

An important read

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