Honey in the Wound by Jiyoung Han ~ a Review

by MK French

Young-Ja had always been able to infuse food with her emotions. When her family is destroyed in the Japanese attacks on Korea in 1931, everything she makes is increasingly bitter with grief. Young-Ja is eventually found by a Korean rebel fighter who brings her to Manchuria to join the teahouse spies. There, Young-Ja finds a new sense of belonging and starts using her abilities for the resistance. Decades later, Young-Ja is alone in Seoul, withdrawn from the world until her Tokyo-born granddaughter Rinako bursts into her life with the ability to see into dreams. In cultivating a tentative bond, they confront the long-buried past together.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

April 2026; vid Reader Press; 978-1668202166
audio, ebook, print (320 pages); women's fiction

Young-Ja is the third generation with a preternatural skill, and we start with her grandparents in the beginning. This gives us context for the talent she has, and we also see the incredible sorrow and damage the Japanese wrought in Korea as they created their empire in the early 1900's. This got worse as time went on and other countries were subjugated. She manages to make a friend and find purpose in China at the teahouse. Her skill in infusing food with her emotions is used, but the horrors of war grab hold. If you've heard of Nanjing and how Japanese soldiers abducted women to be their comfort women, you know exactly what happens. It's not explicitly detailed, but we see the devastating effects and the wounds it places on the souls of each girl with Young-Ja, and how it shaped her life afterwards. 

The section of the novel with Rinako is short in comparison to the rest of the novel. Her ability means she doesn't fit in well, and adds to the conflict already present in her parents' marriage. She is the one who eventually pushes to meet Young-Ja, and the quiet acceptance of the bravery and resilience in her survival helps Young-Ja begin to face the past. The connection is heartfelt and heartbreaking at once; those with few extended family members will understand the wish to know family and understand how people turned out the way they did. There is no quick fix, no easy way to resolve the trauma of the past, but the ghosts quiet when acknowledged. This is a lyrical and thought-provoking book that kept me riveted to know what happens next. 

Buy Home in the Wound at Amazon

Born and raised in New York City, M.K. French started writing stories when very young, dreaming of different worlds and places to visit. She always had an interest in folklore, fairy tales, and the macabre, which has definitely influenced her work. She currently lives in the Midwest with her husband, three young children, and a golden retriever.

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