MIJA

Mija is a novel inspired by a true story about an ordinary family navigating survival through a transformative period in Korean and world history. In 1935 Mun-gyeong, Choi MiJa prepares for her first day at the Elementary Good Citizen School in Japanese-occupied Korea. The Choi family are wealthy landowners with nineteen generations of prosperity, but their privileged life is about to end. They face hardship and loss through the Japanese Occupation, the Second World War, and the Korean War. When peace arrives, Korea has the opportunity to build a just and fair society. The narrative follows MiJa from the gated town of Mun-gyeong, through the war-torn city of Busan and its shantytown of Ami-dong, to the remote fishing port of Mukho on the border with North Korea, where she joins the Hae-nyeo, a matriarchal group of fisherwomen. Mija explores themes of unfulfilled love, female sacrifice, and how historical events crush a family's hopes and dreams—events whose impact continues to resonate in modern-day Korea.