Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 By Cho Nam-Joo

Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo. Advance Reader Copy (eARC) from the publisher via Netgalley included. No affiliate links used. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

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Kim Jiyoung is married and is a stay-at-home parent to her young child. Before becoming a mother Kim Jiyoung was a dedicated employee at a job she enjoyed, but was passed over for promotion. More than once. 

Kim Jiyoung begins to think she is someone else. She needs help. Help her husband seeks from the mental health system in South Korea. From here, we learn about Kim Jiyoung’s life from her childhood to the present day—more accurately 2016, the year the book was published in its native South Korea.

While focused on Kim Jiyoung’s life, the story is told from a distance. A distance that means we are observers of Kim Jiyoung’s life rather than experiencing it alongside her. As the novel progresses the reason for this distance becomes clearer. It is expertly done, but I can understand why this writing style won’t be to everyone’s taste. 

At under 200 pages, Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982* is written with razor sharp clarity and not a single word is wasted. This is one of those books that will have you thinking about it for weeks after reading, which is not surprising given the level of detail involved in writing this narrative of life in South Korea for women who regularly face casual sexism and institutional misogyny.

Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Cam-Joo is published by Scribner UK, an imprint of Simon & Schuster UK, and is available in paperback, audiobook and ebook format. 

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