Kim Geum-hee lends a hand to her reader,

so they may rise, brush-off and move on.

Because failures are not the end of the world.

Kim Geum-hee's newly-released second novel, Dear Bok-ja, embraces the universal misfortunes and sorrows of humanity with a firm and witty prose.

"When I looked at Bok-ja, I felt my heart melt. But eventually, I realized that it was actually a desire to be strong."

The novel begins in early spring of 1999, when the diligent thirteen-year-old elementary school student, Lee Yeong-chorong, is sent to stay with her aunt on the island of Gogori—a place so remote it requires an additional boat ride from the main island of Jeju. Yeong-chorong tries to convince her parents to let her stay in Seoul and continue her studies, with a proposal listing all the reasons. Her efforts, however, fall on deaf ears. Gloomily spending day after day in Gogori, one day Yeong-chorong goes for a solitary walk around the island and unexpectedly encounters a girl her age named Bok-ja. Bold and forthright, Bok-ja insists that Yeong-chorong must pay her respects to the island's deity, the "Halmang," and guides her to the shrine.

Yeong-chorong, who unexpectedly finds the courage to be able to share her life’s biggest troubles with someone, gets a genuine response from Bok-ja, who is moved by the sad story of a stranger she has just met. From that day on, the two children become inseparable. Bok-ja becomes Yeong-chorong’s safe space, as she adjusts to life on the unfamiliar island. One day, however, something happens that strains their friendship. Caught up in the conflict among the village adults, they end up deeply hurting each other and are unable to reconcile before Yeong-chorong returns to Seoul, ultimately losing touch with one another.

Full of energy and abundant wit, Kim’s prose colors the clear frigid landscape,

Treading it with heavy steps, the island of working people, Jeju.

However, the positivity in Kim Geum-hee's novels, which believes in the "power of humanity" to rise above tragedy, contrasts with and shines even brighter against such malice. Inspired by the resilience and robust wit of the Jeju people, including Bok-ja, who take responsibility for their lives through honest labor, Lee Young-chorong gradually begins to heal and recover from her past failures. The characters in Kim Geum-hee's works come closer and drift apart time and again like waves on the island, but they never stop embracing all the struggles that come their way and never give up on staying by each other.

Dear Bok-ja is a novel forged from memories of the days the author spent in Jeju. The fictional space of Gogori Island created by the author gains vivid realism through its clear, even piercingly beautiful landscapes and the lively voices of its people. On this island, which breathes through the work of its people, all failures are forgiven and embraced as evidence of our struggle to live. For those who have experienced failures in relationships with others, in academics and life, and in new endeavors, this place will become a space that embraces life and encourages the strength to move on. As Kim Geum-hee pledges in the "Author's Note," "As long as life continues, painfully enough, our failures too shall continue, but let that not become a failure of life itself."

Support from Munhakdongne Publishing Corp.