Year of Impossible Goodbyes

By: Sook Nyul Choi

I got a lot of this book, however, I have to say I resonated more with the first book, So far from the Bamboo Grove. I think, however, that this is because I read that book first. If I were doing this activity in my classroom, I think I would have my students read “year of impossible goodbyes first.” First of all, it was hard to go from a book that was so fast paced to a book that took its time like this one did. I do not think this book would have felt as slow as it did, had I not had my expectations from the other book. However, having said this, If I read this book first I don’t know that the other book would have had as strong of an impression on me. I think I would have had more trouble getting into a Japanese mindset and allowing myself to feel sympathy. I think it is interesting that in both of these stories, the main characters and their families personally really have nothing to do with the war and what is happening politically, but at the same time they have everything to do with it. This is evident in what I just mentioned above, that the order that I read the stories affects my ability to sympathize with one side or another. I think it is interesting that “Korean” or “Japanese” just becomes this blanket statement in which innocent people become associated with the actions of an entire people. I think this goes both ways. We take on the atrocities of our people, but we also carry their burdens and their hardships. That is why there is controversy. I think that this was a very interesting activity to read from both perspectives because our reactions kind of parallel real life; the way that perspective colors everything. In terms of this book specifically, I think that it is horrible that they were forced to support the very people that oppressed them and made their lives dark. They had to attend schools, work in factories to manufacture things for the soldiers, etc. I think that this actually backfired by creating more hate and resistance, and the damage of this is still there today. I think that many people still do not have the tools or the answers on how to deal with this memory.