Happy New Year to everyone and a special welcome to my new Journey followers. Thank you for subscribing to my newsletter! I hope you and your family had a wonderful and safe holiday season.
The beginning of this year has been a hard one for Los Angeles. My heart goes out to family, friends, and fellow Angelenos who have suffered indescribable loss from the ravaging wildfires. I can’t help but think of the Korean proverb, “After Hardship Comes Happiness,” and pray for hope and recovery during this difficult period.
In WHITE MULBERRY, Miyoung’s mother uses this proverb as a message of hope to Miyoung as she is about to leave home to live with her older sister in Japan and pursue her education. Miyoung is heading into the unknown, not knowing what she will find, but she goes anyway. Although she soon discovers life is a lot harder than she expected, she perseveres.
I too set off to publish a novel without knowing what the result would be. I was filled with doubt and apprehension. I was afraid of rejection and judgment. But I trusted that if I did the work, results would follow. And after writing my novel for ten years, I achieved my dream of becoming a published author.
Lessons Learned and Capturing Joy
If I learned one lesson on this long writing journey, it’s to let go of the outcome and focus on the effort. I became happier when I engaged in action rather than perfection. I made sure the first thing I did when I woke up in the morning was to sit at my computer in my pajamas and write, even before my first cup of coffee. And then I rewarded myself with a delicious hot cup (usually made by my loving husband) after I wrote for at least 45 minutes. Sometimes I was shocked that two hours had passed, and I was happy! For me, hardship meant sticking with a routine and not striving for a certain word or page goal. And when I did that, happiness came, as the proverb says.
Speaking of joy, we were blessed to have family from Germany and our adult children with us over the holidays. My niece’s name is also Joy, and it was fitting that she brought a copy of my novel all the way from Frankfurt for my signature. My mother-in-law and daughter also gifted me a white mulberry tree, which we planted in our garden. I can’t wait to see it grow! We played Pictionary, baked cookies, and enjoyed lots of great meals together. I was sad to see them all go, but I’m glad I’ll be able to see my daughter again soon during my book tour in NYC.
One of the greatest pleasures of writing my book is sharing my family story with all of you and leaving a legacy for future generations. I captured some great photos of my parents, who are now 88 and 86. They’re still thriving, and my dad is going to computer class every Saturday! My dad and I will also be participating together in a video project for Korean American Story, which will be very meaningful. More on that soon!
What I’m Reading
I was asked to write an article for Electric Literature on Powerful Coming of Age Stories Set in Korea, and I would like to share them with you here in the coming months.
This poignant debut novel portrays a young girl who is sold by her family to a courtesan school in Korea during Japan’s colonization and becomes swept up in the Korean Independence Movement. The first scene of a hunter and a tiger is a gripping metaphor for the political tension and struggle against Japanese occupation that is depicted in the rest of the book. Kim’s second novel, City of Night Birds, has just been released and I can’t wait to read it. Shop the Book
New 2025 Events
My first few book club events were a blast! I joined a virtual book club adventure with participants from Arkansas to Canada. And my Asian Author Book Club threw me a fantastic book club launch party filled with deep discussion, laughter, and of course, tons of food!
I’m headed off to my book tour next week and excited about all the fun events planned. I hope you’ll join me if you live near NYC, Chicago, or Boston! I’ve been invited to a few new events too: a fireside chat at the Japan America Society of Chicago, and lunch with students at my alma maters, Smith College and Columbia University. I’m grateful to everyone who has helped me organize these amazing speaking opportunities. It’s going to be a busy but exhilarating few months!
As WHITE MULBERRY continues to find its way out into the world, I’m looking forward to connecting with you more. I hope to find points of connection through what I’m reading, writing, and my adventures with family and friends. By doing so, I hope you will share your hopes, dreams, setbacks, and challenges. We are all in the process of self-discovery and growth, and it’s so much more fun to do it together.
Thank you for sharing this journey with me and following along, wherever the road may lead.
Please tell me what you’re looking forward to in 2025 and what’s weighing heavy on your mind in the comments below. I hope you stay safe and wish you the very best.
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