Through the lives of two sisters, Bracht skillfully portrays the brutality and trauma of the comfort women, while also exploring the enduring strength and resilience of these women in the face of unspeakable violence. This poignant and important novel is a tribute to the Korean women who were forced to endure unimaginable horrors during the Japanese occupation of Korea. Her descriptions of the haenyeo way of life are particularly vivid, as she captures the beauty and danger of the sea and the deep sense of community that the haenyeo share.

Bracht’s writing is evocative and lyrical, transporting the reader to the lush landscapes of Jeju and the dark and sinister world of the Japanese army. The novel alternates between Hana’s harrowing journey as a comfort woman and Emi’s life in the aftermath of her sister’s disappearance. This decision sets the stage for the rest of the novel, as Hana is forced to endure unspeakable horrors while Emi is left to grapple with the guilt and sorrow of her sister’s sacrifice. Hana decides to sacrifice herself to save her sister, allowing herself to be taken as a comfort woman by the Japanese army. However, their peaceful life is shattered when Japanese soldiers invade their island, forcing Hana to make a life-changing decision. Emi, on the other hand, is still learning the trade and dreams of one day becoming a haenyeo like her sister. Hana is a haenyeo, a skilled female diver who harvests seafood from the sea. The novel opens in 1943 on the island of Jeju, where Hana and her younger sister Emi are living with their mother and grandmother. The novel is set in Korea during World War II, a time of great turmoil and violence that has been largely overlooked in historical fiction. Suspenseful, hopeful, and ultimately redemptive, White Chrysanthemum tells a story of two sisters whose love for each other is strong enough to triumph over the grim evils of war.White Chrysanthemum is a heart-wrenching debut novel by Mary Lynn Bracht that tells the story of two sisters separated by war and a deep love that transcends time and distance. Seeing the healing of her children and her country, can Emi move beyond the legacy of war to find forgiveness? Emi has spent more than sixty years trying to forget the sacrifice her sister made, but she must confront the past to discover peace. But haenyeo are women of power and strength.

There she is forced to become a “comfort woman” in a Japanese military brothel. Until the day Hana saves her younger sister from a Japanese soldier and is herself captured and transported to Manchuria. As a haenyeo, a female diver of the sea, she enjoys an independence that few other Koreans can still claim.

Hana has lived her entire life under Japanese occupation. For fans of Lisa Wingate’s Before We Were Yours and Min Jin Lee’s Pachinko, a deeply moving novel that follows two Korean sisters separated by World War II.

Mary lynn bracht white chrysanthemum