One Thousand Chestnut Trees: A Novel of Korea

by Mira Stout

Book Overview

The tumultuous history of Korea unfolds in Mira Stout's debut novel One Thousand Chestnut Trees , a compelling story of a young woman's search for her Korean heritage--and her own sense of identity.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1573227382
• ISBN13: 9781573227384
• Release Date: May 1999
• Publisher: Riverhead Books
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.2" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

A Different Voice Is Heard

_One Thousand Chestnut Trees_, is a wonderful book from an author conveying a very special point of view -- and I thoroughly enjoyed reading Mira Stout's novel. I'm grateful to Stout for writing the book -- and pleased that she found a publisher.I am an Amerasian of Korean-German descent. My mother came to this country as a foreign-exchange student after the Korean War, and later, married an American. I find this book so phenomenal because of a greater context. It wasn't that long ago that 17 states banned marriages between Koreans and so-called "Americans." And if American racial prejudices weren't enough, so-called "half-breed" Korean-American children have also faced unspeakable discrimination from many Korean communities. That Mira Stout has risen above this type of background rhetoric to present her story is a testament to something quite special in her character. She lovingly represents the Korean side of her family through this novel. And while she does share the "dark sides" of her family, countries, and cultures that she must bridge, she doesn't succomb to a tiresome tirade of old accusations. Rather, she presents these people in a far more sophisticated way -- showing their struggles, misunderstandings, and achievements. Stout shares a personal journey with all of its heartache and humor. We have many good texts regarding Korean history in the 20th century -- but we have far fewer books that give historical statistics names and faces and feelings. As an Amerasian in the United States, my Korean heritage has been difficult to access. There are many reasons for this -- both benign and malicious. Benign in the sense that America is overwhelming European-American by habit; malicious in that racial prejudice still closes many doors on both sides of the Pacific. But Stout has been willing to risk writing a book that opens doors to my Korean heritage -- to my parents and grandparents, aunts and uncles. Stout shares the thoughts that my family will never be able to tell me -- but notions which deserve articulation. I appreciate Stout giving voice to the voiceless. And in voicing, giving us an insight into people that are more than mono-syllables and horrible accents -- but rather, a sophisticated amalgam of love and hope without demagoguery.I hope Stout writes another book soon.

excellent

1000 Chestnut Trees is a wonderful and highly enlightening book. Stout paints a very accurate and insightful portrait of Korea and its people. As a second-generation Korean-American, I was very well able to relate with Anna, in particular her experiences in modern-day Korea. Stout's impressions of Korea and Koreans are highly perceptive, and I was especially impressed with her ability to capture their essence in such a simple, easy manner. She also possesses a knack for humanizing each character in her novel, be it Uncle Hong-do or Anna herself. I found them highly believable and began to sympathize with them right away. The diction is very eloquent throughout the novel-it strikes a perfect balance between the abstract and the concrete. I read other reviews that criticize Stout for being too "flowery" and "eloquent", but I disagree. Her style is very clear and precise. (Besides, isn't eloquence supposed to be a good thing? One can never bee "too eloquent".)I have read quite a few books on Korean culture and history, but I have yet to find an author who can duplicate Stout's elegance and grace in presenting the topic.

dazzling & superb winner of a book

I can't recommend this book more highly. Unlike the other related titles you list, this is goes way beyond the racial stereotype tearkerking genre to reach the stature of a major literary work. Stout writes beautifully and with depth and enormous compassion. This is an unsentimental and moving book, which I urge others to read and pass on to their friends. Forget that sniping review from Sydney!

An Eye Opener

For a first novel, Mira Stout has done herself proud. It is a wonderful, eloquent and at times gripping tale about Korea and being from a mixed cultural heritage. I, too, am Eurasian (Australian/Chinese) and I could empathise with many of the author's sentiments. I read this book initially to learn more about Korea and the Koreans and I have come away with far more than I had expected. I highly recommend this book to all Eurasians, 2nd generation Koreans and all those who are curious to learn more as I can assure you that your understanding of the Korean people & culture will certainly be deeper.

A Fascinating Historical Journey

As a second generation Korean-American like the author Mira Stout I have struggled to understand the 2 worlds that create my world. Do not read this book if you're going to get annoyed with the already mentioned, imperfect grammar and prose. However, if you're interested in Korean history through the eyes of people who've lived through the last 100 years of Korea's turbulent past, then read this book. It enabled me to better understand the traumas of war that my grandparents and parents endured, and finally initiated a revealing conversation with my father about subjects he has always avoided. For me, this book was a page turner that was nearly impossible to put down. Mira Stout made the 3 narrators of the novel real and pulled me into their lives, I didn't even notice the inconsistencies mentioned in the other reviews.