WHITE MULBERRY

Narrator Michelle Lee transports listeners with this historical debut based on the life of the author's grandmother. In 1928, 11-year-old Miyoung lives in a tiny village in Japanese-occupied Korea. Wanting to further her education and live with her sister in Japan, Miyoung leaves behind her sick mother and her own name. In Kyoto, she adopts the name Miyoko and passes as Japanese to avoid anti-Korean discrimination. She finds support in a Korean Christian church and over time establishes a career and a family but still yearns for freedom and her own identity. Lee's measured yet fluent delivery effectively depicts the well-researched political and social climate of that era. Despite some uneven pacing, this is an engaging listening experience. V.T.M. © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2025]