Echoes of the White Giraffe [Paperback]

Sook Nyul Choi (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 1995

In a sequel to Year of Impossible Goodbyes, Sookan, now fifteen, is a refugee again and survives the repressive Japanese and Russian occupation of North Korea in the 1940s by making a dangerous escape to freedom. Reprint. K. PW. VY. AB.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Sookan, the heroine who fled war-torn Seoul with her mother and younger brother in Choi's Year of Impossible Goodbyes , returns in this haunting sequel to tell of life as a refugee in South Korea. Now 15, Sookan tries to establish a sense of normalcy during turbulent times as she attends a makeshift school, worries about her missing father and older brothers, and contends with living in a mountaintop shack on the outskirts of Pusan. But perhaps most confusing of all, Sookan experiences her first romance. She takes comfort in her blossoming yet forbidden friendship with the handsome Junho, sharing with him her hopes and dreams of a happy, peaceful future. The end of the war brings still more upheaval when Sookan and the other refugees make their way back to the North and pick up the rubble of their former lives. Sookan's first-person narrative sustains a level of emotional intensity befitting the often dire events that swirl around her. Choi's graceful writing sews the disparate catastrophes into a satisfying, almost cathartic whole. She has once again succeeded in putting a very human face on a tragic episode of world history. This inspirational work possesses a confidence and quiet triumph with universal reverberations. Ages 10-up.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-9-- Having narrowly escaped oppression in their native North Korea in Year of Impossible Goodbyes (Houghton, 1991), Sookan and her younger brother were reunited with their mother and their long-missing father and three older brothers. In this, the sequel, the family is again separated, this time by the Korean War. Fleeing falling bombs, Sookan, Inchun, and their mother arrive safely in Pusan, uncertain of the whereabouts of the men. They establish themselves in a shack at the top of a mountain where, along with other refugees, they try to subdue their doubts and grief as they tackle daily routines, face their memories, and dare to hope for a secure future. Singing in the church choir, Sookan, now 15, meets Junho, a young man whose kindness and sympathetic nature deeply impress her. Incredibly tame by today's standards, their friendship leads to a few daring encounters, such as having a photograph taken together and having an unchaperoned conversation. After the truce is signed ending the war, the surviving family members are reunited. Sookan immerses herself in her schoolwork and achieves her goal of attending college in the U. S. While it lacks the action of the first book, this is a poignant story in which Choi speaks with an authentic voice, both in describing a young girl's coming of age and a war-weary nation where, even today, people are uncertain about the fate of family members. Readers will finish the book with a deeper understanding of Korea's past. --Susan Middleton, LaJolla Country Day School, CA
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Yearling (February 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440825253
• ISBN-13: 978-0440409700
• ASIN: 0440409705
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.2 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,350,335 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book expressing on the life of a young refugee of the war, August 16, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Echoes of the White Giraffe (Paperback)

It is a touching novel like the ones before and after it. You have to read A Gathering of Pearls to complete the set. The title of the book matches very well with its story. The set of books let you relieve a war and its affect on one family and kid. I recommend it for a reading project or anything for history.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Touching and exciting story..., January 10, 2000

By 

Pamela (Tennessee) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Echoes of the White Giraffe (Hardcover)

This book is the BEST I've ever read! Well this and the book before it, The Year of Impossible Goodbyes. When you read it, it's like your actually there.. feeling the same thing the main character (Sookan) is. You'll read about everything she wishes and her thoughts and the horrible things she goes through. You might find it hard to believe at how she finds the most simple things, and enjoy it. She does all she can to enjoy life. This is a book I have really really really really enjoyed..

And recommend it to everyone!

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The amazing life of a young refugee, January 30, 2000

By 

Rachel (Seoul, Korea) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Echoes of the White Giraffe (Library Binding)

Echoes of the White Giraffe, by Sook Nyul Choi is a sequel to Year of Impossible Goodbyes. The theme of this book is about refugees and what their lives are like in a different place. This book focuses on the main character Sookan who is again separated from her father and brothers. The book mainly explains about Sookan's refugee life in Pusan and how she adapts and meets new people in a strange and foreign place. I personally liked the other book, Year of Impossible Goodbyes better because it was more adventurous and exciting but this book was pretty fun also. It talked a lot about her first romance and how she lived as a refugee for two years.