Jan 22

Jan 22 We Do Not Part

About the book

Author: Han Kang
Publisher: Hogarth

More info:
The StoryGraph | Goodreads
Note: Content and trigger warnings are provided for those who need them at the bottom of this page. If you don’t need them and don’t want to risk spoilers, don’t scroll past the review.

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My Review

We Do Not Part was my first Han Kang (I know, what a crime!), but it won’t be my last. I’m so glad that I prioritized this one amidst what’s shaping up to be a major 2025 of new releases! It’s surreal and disorienting (in a good way), deeply affecting, and the kind of book that’s so good and readable you have to stop yourself from inhaling it because it would be easy to do so, but you know if you do, you’ll miss so much of what makes it great.

But make no mistake, this is a heavy read. It’s a layered, dream-like look at the generational trauma of violence and genocide, nightmares made real, in particular the the Jeju uprising in Korea in 1948. Our protagonist, plagued by nightmares ever since researching the violence, gets a call from her best friend, who is in the hospital. She asks the protagonist to travel in a snowstorm back to her remote island home to feed and save her beloved pet bird. I won’t tell you anything else about the plot.

You should read this book. It lots of layers and would probably be an incredible reread, too. Here’s hoping this one is nominated for the International Booker Prize — it deserves it!