Forgotten Country

I love this book, but what's keeping me from giving it 5 stars is the fact that it left me wanting so much more. The book jacket is extremely deceiving. I expected a desperate search for Janie's younger sister, like a race against the clock as their father is diagnosed with cancer. Instead, the book mostly focused on the father's illness while Hannah is quickly found and no one really speaks about it. While this still makes for a great story, it grossly glosses over Hannah's relationship with Janie.

Hannah. To me, Hannah represents that one child. I see it in many Asian-Western families today, especially families that immigrated to a Western country. The older kids in the family are old enough to adapt to their new surroundings while still keeping to the traditions and values from before. It's usually the younger kids that don't. They become more "Western" than the rest of the family, which inevitably leads to clashes. While this definitely does not account for all of Hannah's personality, I feel like this is a factor.

What really irritates me though, is that it's never really revealed why Hannah left the family. Of course, she is an adult when she does this, but the family dynamic here is different: family is everything. As an Asian-Canadian myself, I felt the same anger that Janie did. I thought it was selfish of her and I was frustrated with the whole situation.

Several times, Janie confronted Hannah about this but it's never resolved. The tension between them is incredible, but nothing is ever done about it. Hannah remains a mystery and I imagine that the two sisters eventually grow apart. I guess it's more realistic that way but man, at this point I just want to know why Hannah left.

That flaw aside, this book was extremely well written. I loved how it touched on the struggles of living in a new country and the political troubles in Korea. For me, anything that has to do with parental-children relationships, will probably make me cry. Chung made me cry. She also made me angry and frustrated at times, but I think that's okay because I think that's what she was going for.

Memorable quotes AKA QUOTES THAT MADE ME SO ANGRY ABOUT THE INJUSTICES ASIAN-AMERICANS HAVE TO FACE

"Your girls need names."

"They already have names," my mother said.

"Proper names," Mr B. clarified. "American names."

"We live in a place that sells Chinaman costumes." Her voice shook. I didn't know why she cared so much. We weren't even Chinese.

In sixth grade, Japanese cars flooded into the market, and the auto industry in Michigan went into crisis. That year the father of a girl in my class killed a Chinese man; he claimed he thought his victim was Japanese.

"Why don't you go back to Japan with the rest of the robots?" Erin continued. She knew I wasn't from Japan.

Forgotten Country, by Catherine Chung, tells the story of a family of four who leave Korea during a dangerous time. Their two little girls will now live in Michigan, go to school where they will look different from everyone else, speak a different language, and even use different names. The older sister, Jeehyun, becomes Janie, and her sister Haijin becomes Hannah.

We learn about their relationship with each other, then with their extended family, especially their maternal grandmother and paternal aunt and her sons. The way they interact displays much about their culture. For instance, their father's older sister, who had to raise and take care of him, is very critical that he has just two daughters. He should insist that they keep trying for a son! This aunt also allows her own sons to act selfishly and treat their female cousins horribly. This does create horrible friction between Janie and Hannah's parents, since their mother is tired of trying for a boy.

So, Janie and Hannah grow up in the US, but constantly feel the tug of another culture. Janie is charged with forever taking care of and protecting Hannah, a duty she grows to resent, while Hannah finds the pressure of becoming someone she doesn't want to be so harsh that she simply disappears for over a year, intentionally causing her family extreme distress. During this time, Janie is under intense pressure to find her and bring her back.

When their father is diagnosed with cancer and eventually decides to go back to Korea for treatment, Janie does board a plane and reach her sister. Unfortunately, the encounter goes poorly, and the only thing Janie successfully does is convey the fact that their father has cancer and is in Korea. Worse, during a fight, Janie spitefully tells Hannah not to come; her family is finished with her.

Eventually, their mother calls Hannah, who for once answers her phone and agrees to join her family in Korea. Each sister has her own version of what took place during their last visit together, and the tension is riveting.

As their father's condition slowly deteriorates, Janie and Hannah slowly start to coexist peacefully and accept the past. They confront their parents' culture, cope with it in their own ways, and part as two independent women.

I found this to be a fascinating novel and was impressed by the range of emotion author Catherine Chung was able to convey. I actually felt Janie's indignation when she fought with Hannah, and Hannah's anger and outrage towards their aunt. Every woman in this family has had to endure injustices and indignities and the pent up angst causes them to clash spectacularly. Chung explores these women's roles and duties, as well as their resentments and jealousies, with remarkable insight. Janie's love for her father is also clearly evident. It is sad, but also an enlightening journey.

Very good read!
(This was an Early Reviewer Book from LibraryThing)