Podcast: Ep281: Juhea Kim - Beasts of a Little Land

Podcast: Ep281: Juhea Kim - Beasts of a Little Land

August 2, 2025

Author(s): BBC World Service

Podcast: World Book Club

1 / 1Juhea Kim - Beasts of a Little Land

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  • 1. Juhea Kim - Beasts of a Little Land

About

Harriett Gilbert talks with Juhea Kim about her debut novel Beasts of a Little Land. Set during the turbulent years of Japanese-occupied Korea in the early 20th century, this sweeping historical epic traces the lives of two unforgettable characters: Jade, a young girl sold to a courtesan school, and JungHo, the orphaned son of a hunter who becomes swept up in the Communist resistance. Over five decades, their paths cross and recross as they navigate war, occupation, and revolution. Rich with lyrical prose, folklore, and unflinching insight into the brutality of empire, Beasts of a Little Land explores identity, loyalty, and the high price of survival. Juhea Kim will be talking about why the Tiger is such an important symbol in Korean history, how her writing is structured like a symphony, and how as a writer she strives to show the humanity of all her characters when they are on very different sides of war and colonialism.

Podcast

World Book Club
podcast
World Book Club

BBC

The world's great authors discuss their best-known novel.