The Guest

"Expert, idiomatic translation renders visible a story that helps explain the present weirdness in North Korea . . . YT¤he story with its great insight into the region, is deeply rewarding."-Kirkus Reviews
"Vivid snapshots from the Korean War and surreal encounters with ghosts intersect in the first major US release by award-winning Korean novelist Sok-yong . . . an ambitious exploration of a postwar survivor's chaotic psyche."-Publishers Weekly
"A provocative novel . . . with a subtle power. YHwang¤ takes the reader to the edge of a gruesome scene, then steps back and focuses on the sort of mundane detail that sticks in one's mind more firmly than any blood-splattered image."-TIMEAsia Magazine
During the Korean War, Hwanghae Province in North Korea was the setting of a gruesome fifty-two-day massacre. In an act of collective amnesia, the atrocities were attributed to American military, but in truth they resulted from strife between Christian and Communist neighbors. Forty years later Ryu Yosop, a minister living in America, returns to his home village, where his older brother once played a notorious role in the bloodshed. Besieged by vivid memories and visited by the troubled spirits of the deceased, Yosop must face the survivors of the tragedy and lay his brother's soul to rest.