This was suggested by someone in one of my book groups as a follow-up to Nothing to Envy which all members agreed was an excellent book. All Woman and Springtime does start out in North Korea and it feels as if the author has studied about life there, but the similarity stops short. Thankfully the over-blown prose lost some of the excessive descriptive adjectives as the storyline progressed. It settled down by the time we reached triple digits. Sex trafficking is a popular theme nowadays and this is a glimpse into that sordid world. It's a novel with an ending that could only happen in one. I might have liked a different one, but oh well. I needed to add another shelf to my list of books: A little Trashy. This book is first to be on it. There were groaners that I thought could only have been written by a man. Trying to decide between a 3 and a 4 rating. It will be interesting to see where the discussion ends up at book group. Powerful story of women caught in sex trafficking. There are so many way to lose the birth lotto and being born a woman in North Korea of politically undesirable parents is one I wouldn't choose. The characters were sympathetically brought to life without sentimentality. The story felt entirely possible, and I know my horizons have been widen by reading this book.Alice Walker said "One of the most absorbing, chilling, beautifully written, and important novels I've read in many years."
Really sad, really real novel about sex trade in Korea. Well written...a hard to put down read.
—seororolovegamekyu
This book started me reading others about sex trafficking. Hard to take at times.
—cats
Oh, this book is so sad! I was sobbing by the end.
—Jessyyum
one of the most beautifully written book.
—dimplez
Great read
—Bookworm