 Still Life With Rice is a book by Helie Lee, a Korean American teenager. The book takes place in Southeast Asia, during the Cold War, a time of great tension between the democratic allies and the communist USSR. The book is told from Lee’s grandmother’s, Hongyong’s perspective. The author is very meticulous-- she describes many events in great detail, so the reader can really understand the hindrances and impediments the family had to overcome. The story takes place during the a very hard time for the people of Korea, China, and Japan. History is not the only thing Lee incorporates into her book. She tells interesting stories from her grandmother’s childhood, stories of her aunts and other family members. The book is a great source from which the reader will be able to learn the Korean and Chinese customs and traditions, which are meticulously described. Even though the first chapter of the book is weak and boring, the rest of the book captures the reader.
When reading the book, I thought about the hard times during the Cold War, and felt sorry for some of the innocent people who died. I also learned about the life in Southeast Asia, some of the people's beliefs and customs. Overall, Still Life With Rice is a great book; I recommend it to anyone who would like to learn some history, traditions, and the daily life routine in Southeast Asia. The only people I do not recommend the book to are the ones who feel uncomfortable reading sexual scenes (the book has quite a few of them).
Reviewed by Henry G., Grade 11
Pacific Park Library
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Wednesday, January 14, 2015
Still Life with Rice by Helie Lee
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The book ‘Still life with rice: a young American woman discovers the life and legacy of her Korean grandmother’ by Helie Lee is about the grandmother of the author and how her life comes to be through major experiences taking place in Korea. We first read about how Helie is doing in the United States and what her family expects from her. In the next chapter, Helie visits Korea and starts to tell the experience by taking the place of her grandmother. Throughout the book, we read through the experiences Helie's grandmother went through as a child, young adult, and later on during the war as a wife and a parent.
This book is a great read for those that want to learn more about war and how it can impact people's lives. It is not fiction but a specific case of a person who lived and survived through very torturous times. It can be a very relatable book at some points if you have experienced the same things or know about them. It is not a funny book but does have some nice lessons it can teach. I recommend this book to anyone who is mature and over the age of 14. I would read this book again in my life.
Reviewed by anonymous, Grade 10
Pacific Park Library
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