We Do Not Part

Book Details

• Author: Han Kang

• Publisher: Hamish Hamilton

• Language: English, Korean

• Edition: 1st Edition

• ISBN: 9780241600269

• Pages: 384

• Binding: Hardcover

• Package Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.7 x 1.4 inches

About the Book

Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature 2024, We Do Not Part is a haunting and visionary new novel from acclaimed South Korean author Han Kang. This mesmerizing narrative takes us from contemporary South Korea to the island of Jeju, delving deep into the country’s painful history, while weaving an intimate story of friendship, memory, and loss.

The story follows Kyungha, who, upon hearing that her old friend Inseon has been hospitalized, travels from the bustling city of Seoul to the snow-covered landscapes of Jeju Island. Upon arrival, a fierce snowstorm traps her, and she finds herself struggling to reach Inseon’s house. Inseon, badly injured, has asked her to care for her pet bird, whose fate now seems tied to Kyungha’s own survival.

As Kyungha ventures through the island's bitter cold, the dark, long-buried history of Inseon’s family begins to unravel. The story explores the trauma and tragedy of a massacre that took place seventy years earlier, revealing memories and dreams passed between mothers and daughters, and piecing together an archive of suffering and resilience.

A meditation on the power of friendship, We Do Not Part is a tribute to the imagination and a powerful indictment of forgetting. Han Kang’s profound narrative captures the complexities of memory, history, and the human condition with haunting beauty and lyrical intensity. With a translation by E. Yaewon and Paige Aniyah Morris, this novel is a testament to Han Kang’s extraordinary talent as a writer of rare humanity.

Esteemed by writers like Deborah Levy, Max Porter, and Min Jin Lee, We Do Not Part is an essential read for those seeking to explore the intersection of personal grief and historical memory in modern literature.