So Far From the Bamboo Grove

I really liked this book. It was a quick read, and it kept my interest the whole time. It was extremely sad and heartwrenching. I can not imagine going through things that this little girl and family went through. Not eating for days, seeing people get killed in front of their eyes, being hurt and infections for weeks without getting help. It is absolutely unreal. This is a very inspirational book that I think maybe older elementary or intermediate age kids could read in their classroom. I think there would be many great discussions that could come out of this reading. This book really made me think about how life could be and has been in the past during wars. We are in a war right now, and I can barely tell. It's so different from this story! I don't know much about the Korean or Japanese culture so it was interesting to take in the facts such as about their food like eating misu soup or that on New Years they celebrate their birthdays instead of on the date of their actual birthday. The one thing I didn't really care for in the book was the ending. It was too abrupt. All of a sudden the girls meet with their brother and immediately it's over. I wish it had been dragged out a little more to wrap up everything that had happened. Although I understand because it is a book for a younger audience the length probably could not have afforded to be much longer. I would suggest this book to read in a lit study group as long as it had time for discussion. I really believe you have to have discussion with this book because there is so much going on and because of the hardships these people faced. There is too much to think about and let sink in.