The silence of bones by June Hur
336 pages
Published April 21st 2020 by Feiwel & Friends
Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Historical, Historical Fiction
WELCOME TO MY STOP FOR THE SILENCE OF BONES FFBC BLOG TOUR!
First of all I wanted to thank the publisher for sending me a copy and FFBC for the amazing chance to be part of this blog tour.
THE PLOT
Seol is sixteen years old, a police damo, indentured servant and she’s tasked with helping inspector Han, a young and respected man, in investigating the murder of a young noblewoman, Lady O. But while they investigate her past and connections, Seol starts to form a cautious friendship with inspector Han, relationship that will be turned upside down when he becomes a suspect. Her loyalty being tested, Seol decides to investigate and try to understand what really happened to the young noblewoman and who is the killer. At the same time, she’s bonded by the promise made to her older sister, to find what happened to their older brother, who, years ago, went to the capital and never wrote back to her. What happened to him? Is he really dead?
MY THOUGHTS
The silence of bones is June Hur’s debut, a brilliant and complex YA historical novel, set in Joseon, Korea, in 1800. Through her evocative and captivating writing style, the reader is able to see the city, to follow Seol in her investigation, to walk with her on the streets and crossing forests and mountains.
I was really involved in Seol’s inquiry, because the writing style is engaging and the characters are well rounded and written.
It was really interesting reading how the women where considered and treated in the old Korea, in a male dominated culture.
Seol, as the other female servants in the police, is used to arrest and touch female criminals and to examine female victims, because men couldn’t touch women that they weren’t related to. In a setting where honor was everything, considered vital to the nobles, people committed atrocious acts and women could be killed in order to defend the family honor.
In a world where silence and obedience are highly valued, where “among the seven sins a woman could commit, one was talking excessively” (quote taken from the arc), Seol is an “anomaly”, since she’s curious and inquisitive, eager to learn and investigate, strong and stubborn.
The mystery is very interesting and captivating and full of twists, confessions, tortures, clues and secrets. I found fascinating Seol’s determination, who doesn’t let her being a female damo and the limitations of being a woman in 1800 Korea, stopping her inquiry.
The relationship between her and inspector Han is peculiar and complex since the beginning, being the inspector in a position of power, but slowly Seol proves to him and to the reader her strength and abilities, her loyalty. At first, loyalty to the inspector, but after discovering the complexity and ambiguity of his character, to the truth and the murdered victims.
It was peculiar reading how many characters were troubled by their past and how they decided to act upon it. Seol, determined to discover the truth about her older brother and her own past, to be seen and considered by the police for her worth, the inspector Han, who wanted to escape the tragedies of his past and family, obsessed with his work and officer Shim, who was eager to be seen and recognized.
Interesting is the presence of Lady Kang, a Catholic noblewoman Seol meets in her investigation, a woman who teaches illiterate servants and maid how to read, a highly respected member of the Catholic community, a woman who really existed.
The silence of bones, through the murder mystery and Seol’s search for her brother, talks about the persecution of Catholics in the Korea of 1800 and it was fascinating reading the author’s note and discovering the story and the politics connected to people present in the book, like the priest Zhou Wenmo, Queen Jeongsun, the queen Regent and Lady Kang.
In 1800 Korea, divided in four factions, the Old doctrine dominated and supported the traditions, the structured system, the importance of honor and purity. Clashing against the Southerns, open to the Western’s influence and to the Catholicism. In this context, the queen Regent was bent on the destruction of the Southerns and the Catholics. In a world, that was male dominated, where women were told what they should and shouldn’t do, both the queen regent and lady Kang (even though in opposite factions) represented an anomality, like Lady Kang and Seol in the book.
CONCLUSION
I found absolutely interesting and fascinating how the author explores the relationships between characters, the way women were treated, the politics in 1800 Korea, mixing everything in a gripping historical mystery. Set in male dominated world and culture, Seol is an unforgettable main character, able to prove her worth and, through her curiousity and determination, to reach the truth.
Seol, against the traditions that wanted the women hidden and quiet, is determined not to be silenced.
I’ve rarely found historical books so captivating and interesting. The way the history is woven with the murder mystery and the main character’s own inquiry is skillful and brilliant. The characters, in their complexity and ambiguity, are absolutely relatable and alive. They rage, they are envious, curious, stubborn, angry, sad. This book is full of brilliantly written characters, a mystery able to capture the reader’s attention right away, inserting bit by bit until the whole picture is created, the investigation almost like a puzzle.
I recommend this book to everyone interested in a skillfully written police inquiry and unforgettable characters.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
JUNE HUR (‘Hur’ as in ‘her’) was born in South Korea and raised in Canada, except for the time when she moved back to Korea and attended high school there. Most of her work is inspired by her journey through life as an individual, a dreamer, and a Christian, with all its confusions, doubts, absurdities and magnificence. She studied History and Literature at the University of Toronto, and currently works for the public library. She lives in Toronto with her husband and daughter.
Her debut novel THE SILENCE OF BONES (Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan, April 2020) is a murder mystery set in Joseon Dynasty Korea (early 1800s), and also a coming-of-age tale about a girl searching for home. It was recently selected by the American Booksellers Association as one of the top debuts of Winter/Spring 2020.
She is represented by Amy Bishop of Dystel, Goderich & Bourret LLC.
FAVOURITE QUOTES
I have a mouth, but I mustn’t speak; ears, but I mustn’t hear; eyes, but I mustn’t see.
My fear had reached its climax and another sensation flooded in, a powerful longing that churned within me: the desire to matter.
With your determination, you can be anything you want.
Curiosity was the only thing I couldn’t resist.
Brother had once told me that when you long for something too badly, and for too long, it begins to feel like a faraway, unreachable dream.
Closing my eyes, I prayed to the heavens that in his next life, orabeoni would be surrounded by peole whose hearts brimmed with kindness. And I would brim with kindness to those around me, because my brother could be anywhere.
EXCERPT
Fate. A shackle as solid as truth— unchangeable, unmovable. On the day of my departure, my sister had told me how long I was bound by the government to serve in the police bureau, away from home, from family. For one generation, she’d whispered.
My entire life.
That is, I would be free by the age of forty-one, as old as death itself.
A thunder of fluttering wings filled the sky in all directions, the birds overhead taken to flight. A shriek in the distance pierced the air; a terrified horse. Officer Kyŏn charged ahead, while it took me a scrambling moment to realize what was happening. I jabbed my heels into Terror’s side and followed him through the thicket, over the protruding roots, branches hitting my face.
Then we reached a glade and my heart stopped. Across the stream stood Inspector Han, his sleeve blood-soaked, his hand inching toward the sword at his side. A matter of paces away prowled a tiger, a deep growl rumbling from its white- and- black- striped chest. Powerful paws with sharp claws. The beast looked as large as Inspector Han himself.
“Do not move,” the inspector said, though not to us. Past the thick cluster of leaves was a horse struggling on the ground, shaking its head as blood continued to ooze from its wounded side. And hunkered down behind the creature was Maid Soyi.
Unable to look away from the scene, I hissed to Kyŏn, “Shoot it!”
A muscle worked in Officer Kyŏn’s jaw. Clearly he was incensed at an order from a girl, but he drew out an arrow and nocked it to his bow. As he aimed, the iron point trembled. What resolve he had, I watched falter and crumble.
“I’ll do it.” I snatched the weapon from him and rode out into the glade for a better aim. My motion caught the tiger’s attention. Good. My fear had reached its climax, and another sensation flooded in, a powerful longing that churned within me: the desire to matter.
LINKS
Lu is lost in books 