by Cho Nam-ju
First published 2019
Jiyoung is a thirtysomething Korean woman who abandons her career to care for her newborn. But she soon begins to exhibit strange symptoms, impersonating the voices of other women. As her husband grows concerned, Jiyoung's entire life is recounted - from the gendered expectations that have policed her behavior since childhood to the casual sexism she's endured from male figures. Jiyoung's painfully common experiences are a window into the systemic misogyny of modern Korea, as the country grapples with new anti-discrimination laws. Can the psychiatrist uncover what truly ails Jiyoung, or is her condition a symptom of a society that refuses to value women?
Genres: literary-fiction, domestic-fiction, gender-studies, feminism, contemporary, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: character-study, social-commentary
Setting: Korea
Period: 21st-century
176 pages · Paperback · Scribner UK
Content warnings: mental-illness, sexism