Length: 263 pages
Genre: Narrative Memoir/World Cultures
To Purchase: $0.25-$23 on Amazon
This novel is a memoir by a Korean-American adoptee. Brought to the United States in the 1970s, Kyong-Ah left her Korean identity at the time of her adoption by American parents--thereby becoming Jane Brauer. Trenka tells her story chronologically, detailing her grade school years spent in rural Minnesota, and college years in a more urban setting in MN. Later in the book, she tells of her return to Korea and learning all about her family--recovering her Korean identity and establishing special bonds with her Umma (mother) and sisters.
The perspective with which she writes is fascinating and I admire Trenka's style--she is a realist and tells it like it is. Some parts of her story were challenging to get through, but overall it was extremely insightful for anyone interested in topics ranging from cultural studies to adoption. My experience living in S. Korea this past year gave me a deeper appreciation for Trenka's story. I'm grateful my Korean friend Zee was kind enough to lend me this book!
To learn more the author's books and writings, visit her blog here. I'm looking forward to reading her follow-up book. Here are some of my favorite quotes from throughout The Language of Blood:
"Some things I will never know; others I am learning gradually, with effort and determination. In the latter category are Korean manners and language, including the names of things with no English equivalents; Korean history; the difference between Eastern and Western dragons; how not to stereotype other Asian people. I am learning to navigate the gap in perception that lies between my view of the world, the white American view of the world, and the Korean view of the world."
"Consider another recipe: Start with a girl girl whose blood has been steeped in Korea for generations, imprinted with Confucianism and shamanism and war. Extract her from the mountains. Plant her in wheat fields between the Red River and the Mississippi. Baptize her. Indoctrinate her. Tell her who she is. Tell her what is real. See what happens."
"So, like a know-it-all, naive college graduate who thinks she is going to be "alternative" and cool, like a dumb American who tries to mimic the native culture but fails badly without even knowing it--I choose a gold, reversed swastika. I thought it would be great to take back to America because it's a Buddhist symbol, and I would look super-exotic wearing it, and I was so happy with myself for even knowing it was a Buddhist symbol, and so on."
"I have little patience for "ex-pates" who ricochet around the globe in search of the perfect cafe, willing women, cheap wine. Yet there are some whose experiences resonate with me; for those who find their place, their second home, yearning is transformed into something else, something ghostly yet real as flesh."
