THE VOICES OF HEAVEN

size 130 x 190 mm
page 316 pages
price KRW 12,000

The Voices of Heaven can be purchased
through Seoul Selection’s online bookshop
(www.seoulselection.com)
or through Amazon.

Love and Secrets in Old Korea

Maija Rhee Devine’s novel The Voices of Heaven explores human relations in an era not so long ago

Maija Rhee Devine’s The Voices of Heaven (Seoul Selection, 2013) is about many things: war, love, family, and secrets, for starters. But above all, it’s a book about Korea, written by somebody who was born and raised here. “This isn’t secondhand material, but my own story,” said Devine at a press conference at the Seoul Selection bookshop on May 22. “It’s things I directly saw, heard, tasted, and cried about.”

The Voices of Heaven is a semi-autobiographical look at Korea during the traumatic years of the Korean War. While the war certainly plays a critical role in the book—as do many other important events in modern Korea’s political history—it is by no means the novel’s focus. Instead, the war serves as the backdrop to an examination of family structures in old Korea, a time when Confucian norms were applied much more rigorously and the birth of a male child was considered so important it necessitated concubinage, often with painful consequences for all involved. At times, the cultural setting appears so exotic that it’s easy to forget we’re reading about times well within the living memory of many Koreans, including the author herself.

Born and raised in Korea, Devine is a product of the times about which she writes. Like Mi-na, the main character in The Voices of Heaven, she grew up unaware that she had been adopted, abandoned by her birth family in favor of a twin brother she didn’t know she had. Also like Mi-na, she would have to watch the suffering of her adopted mother as her adopted father took a concubine to produce a male heir, a sine qua non in premodern Korea’s deeply Confucian society. This adherence to tradition, even amidst the worst of circumstances, is one of the most striking aspects of Devine’s book. “They lived with an unconditional belief in these commandments coming from Confucian tradition, Buddhist tradition, Taoist tradition, folk beliefs, and shamanism. They had an unconditional faith in these ideals taught by these philosophies as the way to redemption, as the way to finding true love, pure love that is lasting,” says Devine. “In a way, the individual’s struggle is paralleled by Korea as a nation.”

After graduating from Seoul’s Sogang University, Devine left for the United States to attend graduate school at Saint Louis University. She returned to take up a teaching position at what it today Sejong University, but after meeting her husband, a US Peace Corps volunteer (and currently head of the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library), she returned to the United States in 1970. She reunited with her birth parents and her twin brother in 1995.

Through The Voices of Heaven, Devine hopes to inform Western readers of Korea’s cultural uniqueness. “I want them to understand Korean culture as distinctly different from Chinese and Japanese cultures,” she says. She liberally peppers her prose with Korean folk sayings, the meanings of which can usually be ascertained through context. The love between two of the main characters is as “sweet as sticky rice,” for instance. Even character nicknames such as Noodle Leg get this treatment. “I really tried to stress how Koreans are different ethnically and culturally and in their everyday language,” she says.

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April 3, 2013 / Issue No. 574 Looking for Writers We are looking for writers to pen the Korea Essential 2013 series, a cooperative project between the Korea Foundation and Seoul Selection. We’ve published 12 volumes so far, which you can find on Seoul Selection’s online bookshop. This year, we plan to release four volumes: Hanbok and Korean Fashion, Taekwondo, Korean Traditional Medicine, and Korean Dance. Each volume is about 20,000 words; manuscripts should focus on providing readers fun, easy explanations rather than excessively technical content. If you are interested in writing, please send a resume and writing sample to the appropriate supervisor below: Hanbok and Korean Fashion: Hye Young Park pubco@seoulselection.com Taekwondo: Hwa-pyeong Kim word@seoulselection.com Korean Traditional Medicine: Eugene Kim planner@seoulselection.com Korean Dance: Jin Lee publisher@seoulselection.com The Voices of Heaven Maija Rhee Devine’s novel looks at family drama during the Korean War The latest from Korean-American author Maija Rhee Devine, The Voices of Heaven (Seoul Selection, 2013) is a rare gem in English-language literature about Korea, a story that takes us deep into the devotion and secrets of a family living in Seoul at the cusp of the Korean War. A tale that spans decades, The Voices of Heaven has been expertly woven together to reveal not only the injustices of unmitigated life circumstances but also the restorative power of truth and love. Maija Rhee Devine presents a stellar cast of empathetic characters to spin a tale that draws readers into the shadows of Korea’s Confucian web that at once constrains and defines the powerful will of its people. Synopsis During the final years of the Japanese Occupation, when most Korean brides and grooms were married sight unseen, Gui-yong and Eum-chun strike gold by finding a love as sweet as sticky rice. But their love for each other and for their secretly adopted daughter is not enough, as they must soon accept the impossible—a mistress moving in to bear Gui-yong the male child deemed necessary in a society still smoldering in Confucianism. After the Korean War drives the family apart, it falls on the shoulders of their adopted daughter, Mi-Na, to figure out how to keep her parents’ love burning through this life and into the next—and ultimately make sense of the past. Flowing from her firsthand experience of growing up in Seoul during the Korean War, Maija Rhee Devine’s novel reveals uniquely Korean colors and sounds as she leads readers through an extraordinary love story that parallels the tragedies of the war. Also available on Amazon. Around the Web A miscellany of high-quality hyperlinks from the week, courtesy of SEOUL editor-in-chief Robert Koehler. Korean traditional cosmetics in the UK. 10 differences between Korea and the rest of the world. Learn more about the presidential dogs. Picking strawberries seems like a pleasant way to spend a weekend. One of Gyeongju’s two iconic pagodas is being renovated. I just love watching clouds gathering belows Korea’s peaks. A Buddhist hermitage overlooking the sea. Here’s a roundup of Seoul’s F/W 2013 Fashion Week. You really shouldn’t be reminded that Jejudo is a great place to go in spring, but just in case… I’ve got some shots of Byeonsanbando National Park at my Tumblr. Events Koreana Antique Furniture Sale Looking for some good Korean antique furniture? Koreana Antique Furniture at the Dapsimni Antique Mall is hosting a sale (April 6–13) with all goods going for 50%! Korean chests, boxes, tables, and other folk craft available. Founded by Jeonn Symon in 1994, Koreana Antique Furniture has discovered many sources for antique collection quality pieces at reasonable prices; it also specializes in beautiful reproductions. For more info, call 010-8899-4349. The store is on the second floor of Dapsimni Antique Mall near Exit 1, Dapsimni Station, Line 5. Address: Building 2, Dapsimni Antique Mall, 530-6 Dapsimni-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 2013 SAC Orchestra Festival See 16 of Korea’s finest regional orchestras at the 2013 SAC Orchestra Festival. First held in 1989 to mark the first anniversary of the SAC Concert Hall, this is the largest orchestra festival in Korea. Nationally and internationally renowned guest musicians will be performing as well. VENUE: Concert Hall, Seoul Arts Center PERIOD: Thru Apr 17 ADMISSION: R: KRW 30,000, S: KRW 20,000, A: KRW 10,000 MORE INFO: T. 02-580-1300, www.sac.or.kr GETTING THERE: Nambu Bus Terminal Station 남부터미널역 (Line 3), Exit 5. Transfer to shuttle bus, or green bus No. 4429. Julio Iglesias Concert Globally-touted Spanish singer Julio Iglesias is returning to Korea for a concert in April. Blessed with a powerful voice and a gift for communicating with the audience, Iglesias is one of the most popular and enduring figures in the history of Latin music. He has sold over 300 million albums worldwide and remains a popular concert draw and chart-topping recording artist with a long-spanning career. The height of his success was during the 1970s and 1980s. Among his best-known songs are “Hey”, “1110 Bel Air Place”, “Non Stop”, “Starry Night”, “Calor,” and “Crazy.” His duets with Willie Nelson, Diana Ross, and Stevie Wonder all topped the charts. VENUE: Gymnasium No. 1, Olympic Park DATE: Apr 9, 8pm ADMISSION: VIP: KRW 220,000, FR: KRW 190,000, R: KRW 160,000, S: KRW 120,000, A: KRW 90,000 Tickets: http://ticket.interpark.com/global MORE INFO: T. 02-407-2589, www.ehyundai.com GETTING THERE: Olympic Park Station 올림픽공원역 (Line 5), Exit 3 Psy Concert—Happening Psy—yes, one of TIME’s most influential people—is releasing his next single “Happening” at a concert at World Cup Stadium. Even if you can’t make the concert, he’ll be streaming it live via YouTube. VENUE: Sangam Seoul World Cup Stadium DATE: Apr 13, 6:30pm ADMISSION: SR: KRW 110,000, R: KRW 99,000, S: KRW 88,000, A: KRW 77,000, B: KRW 55,000 Tickets: http://ticket.interpark.com/global MORE INFO: T. 1544-1555 GETTING THERE: World Cup Stadium 월드컵경기장역 (Line 5), Exit 1 ZEDD in Seoul Russian-born German electronic music producer and DJ Zedd will be in Seoul. Born Anton Zaslavski and raised in Kaiserslautern, Germany by two classically trained musicians, he began playing the piano at the age of four and built up his knowledge of the classical repertoire throughout his childhood, at times writing a song a day. With his gift for musicality and background in instrumentation, composition, and production, the move into the realm of electronic dance music was seamless. Signing with Interscope Records in 2012, he released his debut album Clarity in October 2012. VENUE: Walkerhill Theatre DATE: Apr 6, 10pm ADMISSION: KRW 66,000 Tickets: http://ticket.interpark.com/global MORE INFO: www.vuent.co.kr GETTING THERE: Take shuttle bus at Gwangnaru Station 광나루역 (Line 5), Exit 4 Photo & Imaging Seoul 2013 (P&I 2013) Photo & Imaging Seoul 2013 will take place at COEX, bringing together 300 leading brands—including Samsung, Canon, Nikon, and Sony—from 18 countries. Five exclusive photography-focused events are expected to attract an estimated 90,000 domestic and international participants. Over 750 booths will showcase everything from compact and DSLR cameras to printers, SD cards, editing software, and photo albums. On-site events will provide visitors with hands-on activities and demonstrations for an unparalleled photo and imaging experience. Exclusive biz-matching meetings between buyers and exhibitors will optimize trade opportunities at the event, ensuring global exposure for participants. VENUE: Hall A & B, COEX PERIOD: Apr 4–7 ADMISSION: Online registration: free; on-site: KRW 20,000 MORE INFO: T. 02-6000-8133, www.photoshow.co.kr/english GETTING THERE: Samseong Station, Line 2 RASKB: Daehangno and Hyehwa-dong: An Architectural Walk During this excursion of Daehangno and Hyehwa-dong, we will look at a variety of styles of Korean architecture in the 20th century. The excursion will begin around Marronnier Park, which is where Seoul National University and its Japanese colonial forerunner, Gyeongseong Imperial University, were located. Several university buildings built during the colonial period still stand, including the former headquarters building which was designed by Park Kil-yong (1898–1943), a noted Korean architect during the colonial period. The tour will then move through Hyehwa-dong and Seongbuk-dong, stopping by fascinating pieces of historical architecture along the way. DATE: April 13 COST: KRW 20,000 for members and KRW 25,000 for nonmembers MORE INFO: See this link. GETTING THERE: See link above. Everyday Koreans Naesosa Temple   Beautiful Joseon Dynasty main hall of Naesosa Temple, Byeonsanbando National Park. Photo by Robert Koehler. *Click the photo to see a full-size version at our website. NOTE: If you have a photo you would like to see in our Everyday Koreans section, please sent it to story@seoulselection.com. Photos should be AT LEAST 950px wide. Send a one-line bio, too. Notifications Tell Us About ‘Your Korea’: If you’re a longtime resident of Korea and would like to share your story in KOCIS’s KOREA Magazine, shoot an email with your story idea to book@seoulselection.com. Update Your Shopping Mall ID – Seoul Selection encourages you to change your ID and password for our online bookshop and shopping mall at Seoulselection.com. The old IDs and passwords no longer work following our recent upgrade. Looking for Translators – Seoul Selection is looking for a few good translators (Korean to English) for general translation work. Those interested should send a resume and cover letter to Kyehyun at trans@seoulselection.com. Seoul Selection eBooks – You can purchase some Seoul Selection titles in ebook format via Amazon.com (for Kindle) and Apple’s iBookstore. Titles include Ask a Korean Dude, Moon Tides, Doing Business in Korea, Once Around the Sun, and seven volumes of our Korean Film Directors series: BONG Joon-ho, IM Kwon-taek, KIM Jee-woon, LEE Chang-dong, LEE Man-hee, PARK Chan-wook, and SHIN Sang-ok. Seoul Selection via Ingram – Seoul Selection now has a direct wholesale distribution agreement with Ingram Book Group, the world’s largest wholesale distributor of publisher content. By choosing to allow Ingram to represent our material, we have opened our titles to a wider audience. Our titles will be available for order through Ingram at more than 35,000 distribution channels worldwide. Ask your local bookstore to have Seoul Selection titles available! Send Your Event Info – If you would like to advertise any upcoming events you are organizing, please send us the press release material at book@seoulselection.com by the preceding Friday in order for it to appear in the following Tuesday’s issue.

Freelance Contributors Wanted – SEOUL Magazine needs writers who are fluent in both Korean and English. Writers should have a strong interest in Korean culture and be able to interview Koreans. Send your resume and writing samples to book@seoulselection.com.

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