Captivating Characters of October link-up opportunity! Please join the link party or share your most captivating character in the comments.

Carol’s Captivating Characters of October Link-Up

On the last Friday of the month, I will write a post about my most captivating character of the month and create a Link Party (see link below my review)! In addition to hearing about the memorable characters that have captivated you, I also want this new project to facilitate new bookish friendships, help you find your book twin, and promote blog engagement. This link party will stay active for 30 days. In exchange for linking your post back to this one, I promise to visit every blog post that links up, leave a comment, and share your post once on #bookx and #booksky.

Captivating Character Link Up Details:

1. You can use fictional or real characters/persons.
2. Link up a review that specifically highlights a captivating character or person, or write a post dedicated to your most captivating character or person of the month.
3. Please include a link back to this (monthly) post.
4. Be kind: visit one other post in the link-up and leave a comment.
5. #CaptivatingCharacters25

No blog? No problem! Share your most captivating character of the month in the comments.

I appreciate my loyal and kind supporters, Joanne @ Portobello Book Blog and Rosie @ Rosie Amber, for linking up with me last month. Check out their posts.

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Miyoung/Miyoko

Name of Captivating Character: MIyoung aka Miyoko
The reason she is captivating: resilient, hopeful, determined, headstrong, gutsy, brave
Book and Author: White Mulberry by Rosa Kwon Easton
Genre/Categories/Setting: Historical Fiction (1930s), Asian Literature, Sisters, Family Drama, Passing, Japan, Korea
Mood: Tense
Content Considerations: Racism, prejudice, death (loved ones)

Young Miyoung lives in a farming village in Korea and dreams of becoming a teacher. To chase her dreams, she needs to avoid an arranged marriage. Leaving her sick mother and her name behind, she escapes to Japan to live with her sister.

In Japan she faces prejudice and discrimination. Taking a Japanese name (Miyoko) helps her pass as Japanese, secure an education, and train as a nurse. She attends Christian services, works as a nurse, and serves as a volunteer in the community. Miyoko falls in love with an activist, and they marry and have a son. After her husband’s death, she risks everything to return to Korea.

Miyoung/Miyoko is a courageous and resilient woman. I found her captivating because she lives a life I’ll never live and takes risks I’ll never face. Reading like a memoir, White Mulberry is based on the real-life story and experiences of the author’s grandmother, making the story more riveting.

At the story’s end, I wasn’t ready to forget Miyoung/Miyoko and wished for an epilogue. Maybe there is a planned sequel. I need to know what next steps she takes and what life back in Korea will hold for her.

If you love a memoir-like story rich is cultural details and based on a real person and real experiences, consider White Mulberry for your TBR. At times it reminded me of The Girl with Seven Names.

Star Rating: 4.5 Stars

Meet the Author of White Mulberry, Rosa Kwon Easton

Rosa Kwon Easton was born in Seoul, Korea, and grew up with her extended family in Los Angeles. Easton holds a bachelor’s degree in government from Smith College, a master’s in international and public affairs from Columbia University, and a JD from Boston College Law School. She is a lawyer and an elected trustee of the Palos Verdes Library District. She has two adult children and lives with her husband and Maltipoo in sunny Southern California.

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You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

(this link party is open for 30 days)

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“Ah, how good it is to be among people who are reading.”
~Rainer Maria Rilke
“I love the world of words where life and literature connect.”
~Denise J Hughes
“Reading good books ruins you for reading bad ones.”
~Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
“I read because books are a form of transportation, teaching, and connection. Books take us to places we’ve never been, teach us about our world, and help us understand human experience.”
~Madeleine Riley

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