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Historical Fiction Book Club: Mermaid from Jeju/Sumi Hahn

In Partnership with Oakville Museum

Join our book club with a historical twist! Ages 19+

Sessions are led by our own professional book lovers (a.k.a. OPL staff members).

A copy of the book club title can be picked up at the Central Branch at the 3rd floor service desk starting October 22nd.

The session will take place in the auditorium at Central Branch.  The auditorium is located on the second floor.  There is paid parking at the back of the library and in nearby parking lots.

Registration is required.  

This month we will be discussing The Mermaid from Jeju: A Novel by Sumi Hahn

In the aftermath of World War II, Goh Junja is a girl just coming into her own. She is the latest successful deep sea diver in a family of strong haenyeo. Confident she is a woman now, Junja urges her mother to allow her to make the Goh family's annual trip to Mt. Halla, where they trade abalone and other sea delicacies for pork. Junja, a sea village girl, has never been to the mountains, where it smells like mushrooms and earth, and it is there she falls in love with a mountain boy Yang Suwol, who rescues her after a particularly harrowing journey. But when Junja returns one day later, it is just in time to see her mother take her last breath, beaten by the waves during a dive she was taking in Junja's place.

Spiraling in grief, Junja sees her younger siblings sent to live with their estranged father, Suwol is gone, the ghost of her mother haunts their home--from the meticulously tended herb garden that has now begun to sprout weeds, to the field where their bed sheets are beaten. She has only her grandmother and herself. But the world moves on without Junja.

The political climate is perilous. Still reeling from Japan's forced withdrawal from the peninsula, Korea is forced to accommodate the rapid establishment of US troops, and her grandmother, who lived through the Japanese invasion that led to Korea's occupation understands the signs of danger all too well. When Suwol is arrested for working with and harboring communists, and the perils of post-WWII overtake her homelands, Junja must learn to navigate a tumultuous world unlike anything she's ever known.

Health & Safety 

The safety of our patrons and staff is our top priority. To help reduce the spread of COVID-19, in-person programs meet health guidelines designed in consultation with the Town of Oakville and in alignment with provincial health guidelines. Guidelines include lower ratios and capacity, masking requirements, encouraging physical distancing, and mandatory health screening. 

Cancellation

If you cannot make a session, please cancel your spot using Manage Your Events, the link in your confirmation email, or email oplprograms@oakville.ca  

Access to facilities and programs may be impacted by evolving health and safety protocols related to COVID-19. The town will follow all requirements and recommendations issued by Halton Public Health and any applicable provincial regulations. The town may use discretion to impose its own requirements. You will be notified if your registration is impacted by any changes. 

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