Book Review: The Hive and the Honey by Paul Yoon

Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Hive and the Honey by Paul Yoon is a brilliantly penned collection of seven stories set across varying time periods and continents exploring the experiences of the Korean diaspora, touching upon themes of identity, displacement, the migrant experience, loss and regret.

In Bosun, we follow a South Korean immigrant who, after a short stint in jail, begins working in a casino in Canada. (4/5) Komarov(5/5) revolves around a North Korean defector, a resident of Barcelona who travels to a small hill town on the Costa Brava to meet a Russian boxer who might be the son she left behind. Set in the Edo period, At the Post Station(4.5/5) follows a samurai who is tasked with escorting an orphan boy to his own people. We meet a Korean couple, both children of North Koreans who settled in London, whose chance meeting with a young Korean boy leaves an indelible imprint on their lives in Cromer(3.5/5) Set in 1881, The Hive and the Honey(5/5), a young man soldier posted at a Korean settlement in Russia, chronicles a bizarre incident in a letter to his uncle. In Person of Korea (4/5), we meet a Korean teenager who travels to e remote Russian island from his home in East Russia after the death of his uncle to find his father whom he has not seen for over five years and who works as a prison guard. After two years in a refuge settlement, a man returns to his native village to lead a reclusive life until two orphaned children join him, unaware of his violent streak in Valley of the Moon.(4/5)

Sparse prose, compelling characters, and varying themes make for a powerful and thought-provoking mix of stories. Each of these was impactful and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this collection. This is my first time reading Paul Yoon and I can’t wait to explore more of his work.

Many thanks to Simon Element and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.