Juhea Kim

What does it mean to live on our miraculous planet? Vivid, transportive, and heartfelt, each of these ten stories is a reflection of individual choice in the face of manmade apocalypse: in a near-future Seoul encased by a translucent biodome, a civil engineer charged with its upkeep contemplates an arranged marriage. An American painter travels to the South of France and is seduced by an entrepreneur who claims to have unlocked human consciousness. And where the Indian and Pacific Oceans meet, on an island that has turned into a gargantuan landfill from other countries’ waste, a boy has a fateful brush with K-pop superstars. For readers of Richard Powers, Elif Shafak and Barbara Kingsolver, Juhea Kim’s first story collection views our world from breathtaking heights. A Love Story from the End of the World is an impassioned reminder that our humanity – and our best hope – will always be found in nature.

'A novel that will be read and loved for the next one hundred years, and essential reading for right now. I could not have loved it more.' Coco Mellors, author of Blue Sisters 'This story left me thinking about the ways we overcome setbacks and redefine what truly matters.' Reese Witherspoon A REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK FOR DECEMBER 2024 * A HARPER'S BAZAAR BEST BOOK OF 2024 Slowly recovering from a terrible accident, Natalia is faced with a devastating choice - to return to the cutthroat world of Russian ballet that nearly broke her, or to walk away forever - in this sweeping novel of love and redemption Prima ballerina Natalia Leonova was once celebrated across the world, her signature bravura in demand on stages from St. Petersburg to Paris to New York. But at the top of her career, an accident forces her into sudden retirement. Injured and alone, she turns to pills and alcohol to numb the pain of her past, still haunted by her relationships with two gifted dancers, Dmitri and Alexander. These men were responsible for her soaring highs, her darkest hours and, ultimately, both played their part in her downfall. So when Dmitri resurfaces with a tantalising offer for Natalia, she must decide what she is willing to sacrifice in order to dance again - and for the chance to return to the great love of her life. Painting a vivid portrait of a world in which ruthless ambition, desire and sublime artistry collide, City of Night Birds unveils the making of a dancer with profound intimacy and breathtaking scope. From the author of Beasts of a Little Land, winner of the Yasnaya Polyana Award

Strhující příběh lásky, války a vykoupení, odehrávající se na pozadí korejského hnutí za nezávislost, sleduje propletené osudy mladé dívky prodané do školy pro kurtizány a chudého syna venkovského lovce. Píše se rok 1917, když hluboko v zasněžených horách okupované Koreje zachrání chudý a vyhladovělý místní lovec japonského důstojníka před útokem tygra. Jejich osudové setkání je začátkem příběhu trvajícího přes půl století. Brzy nato je mladá dívka Jade prodána svou rodinou do školy pro kurtizány. Tento zoufalý čin ji předurčí k životu v nejnižší společenské vrstvě. Když se náhodou setká s osiřelým chlapcem Džung Ho, postupně se mezi nimi utvoří pevné přátelství. Jak dospívají, Džung Ho se zapojuje do revolučního boje za nezávislost země, zatímco z Jade se stává vyhledávaná umělkyně. Musí se ale rozhodnout, zda je ochotna riskovat vše pro toho, kdo by se pro ni také obětoval. Juhea Kimová vdechla život výjimečným postavám, jež si na pozadí zkoušeného národa splétají své vlastní osudy, od provoněných komnat kurtizánské školy v Pchjongjangu přes oslnivé kavárny stále modernějšího Soulu až po lesy Mandžuska, kde zuří líté boje. Román Jako tygr ve sněhu odhaluje svět, v němž se z přátel stávají rivalové, z nepřátel zachránci, hrdinové jsou pronásledováni a tygr není tou nejhorší bestií, s níž se můžete střetnout.

FINALIST FOR THE 2022 DAYTON LITERARY PEACE PRIZE · FINALIST FOR THE BALCONES FICTION PRIZE · LONGLISTED FOR THE HWA DEBUT CROWN AWARD An epic story of love, war, and redemption set against the backdrop of the Korean independence movement, following the intertwined fates of a young girl sold to a courtesan school and the penniless son of a hunter In 1917, deep in the snowy mountains of occupied Korea, an impoverished local hunter on the brink of starvation saves a young Japanese officer from an attacking tiger. In an instant, their fates are connected—and from this encounter unfolds a saga that spans half a century. In the aftermath, a young girl named Jade is sold by her family to Miss Silver’s courtesan school, an act of desperation that will cement her place in the lowest social status. When she befriends an orphan boy named JungHo, who scrapes together a living begging on the streets of Seoul, they form a deep friendship. As they come of age, JungHo is swept up in the revolutionary fight for independence, and Jade becomes a sought-after performer with a new romantic prospect of noble birth. Soon Jade must decide whether she will risk everything for the one who would do the same for her. From the perfumed chambers of a courtesan school in Pyongyang to the glamorous cafes of a modernizing Seoul and the boreal forests of Manchuria, where battles rage, Juhea Kim’s unforgettable characters forge their own destinies as they wager their nation’s. Immersive and elegant, Beasts of a Little Land unveils a world where friends become enemies, enemies become saviors, heroes are persecuted, and beasts take many shapes.