First Fiction Fridays: The Homes We Build on Ashes

What:The Homes We Build on Ashes (Inanna Publications, 2015)Who: Born in Vancouver, Canada, Christina Park has been around art and letters all her life. Her writing is informed by personal experiences as a second-generation Korean Canadian, as well as by living in Vancouver and Montreal. She was editor of the University of British Columbia’s literary magazine and attended Oxford University. She comes from a family of academics and a notable Korean author: a film adaptation of one of her father’s most well-known works screened at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival and was short-listed for Critics Choice. Outside of her writing pursuits, Christina has worked for both technology start-ups and large financial corporations, including as VP of Marketing for a prominent investment management company. The biggest influences in her life are her husband and daughter. An avid traveler and would-be runner, she is thankful to have run in interesting locales where she could see things up close.Why You Need to Read This Now:The Homes We Build on Ashes stories the immigrant experience. Immigrant stories need to be a part of the Canadian literary landscape. We have such a diverse range of voice with people coming from rich cultures steeped in history. We have many powerful stories that need to be told, including this one. However, some readers tend to shy away from “immigrant” stories because they always seem to be about hardship, always about struggle, and invariably about some elements of racism. However, while such stories are hard to read and challenges readers to be vulnerable, without including the immigrant story within our literary canon, we are not offering the world an authentic Canadian Voice.The Homes We Build on Ashes is about Nara, a Korean-woman who struggles and triumphs over abject injustice in her own country only to discover the challenges of moving to a new country.Through the novel, the author raises awareness about what are euphemistically called, “Comfort Women”. They are the 200,000 women and girls who were kidnapped, coerced, and forced into a militarized form of sexual slavery leading up to and including the Second World War.  The term “comfort woman” is offensive as it refers to the victimized women from the perspective of the soldier. The women and girls were brought to the front lines to provide “comfort” to the soldiers, but were essentially repeatedly raped up to 15-30 times per day for years. Through talking about the issue, Park strives to change the language we use and shift the perspective back to the women who suffered in order to give them the justice they deserve. There is a character named Min-joo, a friend of Nara who portrays such a woman in the book.For a long time, many hoped Japan would make a formal and direct apology to these few remaining women—while they are still alive—and bring resolution to this chilling and dark part of Korean history.On December 28, 2015, Japan and Korea reached an historic deal. Japan apologized for their part in the wartime travesty and pledged more than $8 million to set up a fund to help victims.  However, the apology was not directed at the women, and is, therefore, insufficient. Instead, the move is perceived as a geopolitical and economic one to bring stability in the region. For this reason, an apology may seem like a step in the right direction, but the frigid relations between the two societies remain.Finally, in The Homes We Build on Ashes, transformation is a key theme: the transformation that Canada has gone through in its dialogue and conversation around inclusion and diversity. There is the transformation that Korea underwent moving from a poor agrarian society to the technologically advanced society that it is today, which is juxtaposed against the evolution of the rights of women occurring over the same time period, ironically rising triumphantly out of the “comfort women” atrocities.All these issues are urgent and compelling. For heart-wrenching inspiration, The Homes We Build on Ashes is a must-read. What others are saying about The Home We Build on Ashes:“Christina Park…the Vancouver native and second-generation Korean Canadian, explores what her ancestry means in her first book, The Homes We Build on Ashes.” –CBC News“Christina Park’s debut novel is The Homes We Build on Ashes, set against an historical backdrop when Korea was a colony and citizenry was rendered impotent.” –Kerry Clare, 49th Shelf“Issues regarding assimilation and occupation are painful topics many societies can relate to — it’s part of what gives Park’s work its edge. It demands that readers confront the bitter truths about the experiences of immigrants, from culture shock to change in scenery.” –The Ubyssey* * *Thanks to Renee at Inanna for sharing The Home We Build on Ashes with us. If you enjoy discovering new voices, check out our previous First Fiction Friday picks.