Once the Shore

New York Times Notable Book: “Yoon writes stories the way Fabergé made eggs: with untold craftsmanship, artistry, and delicacy.” —Ann Patchett
 
An NPR “Best Debut Fiction” and a Los Angeles Times “Favorite Fiction” selection
 
Spanning over half a century—from the years just before the Korean War to the present—these stories reveal an intricate and unforgettable portrait of a single island in the South Pacific. Novelistic in scope, daring in its varied environments, Once the Shore is a remarkable work of international fiction by the acclaimed author of Snow Hunters.
 
“So persuasive are Yoon’s powers of invention that I went searching for his Solla Island somewhere off the mainland of South Korea—not realizing that it exists only in this breathtaking collection of eight interlinked stories . . . a fully formed, deftly executed debut.” —San Francisco Chronicle
 
“These are lovely stories, rendered with a Chekhovian elegance. They span from post-World War II to the new millennium, with characters of different ethnicities, yet each story has a timelessness and relevance that’s haunting and unforgettable.” —Don Lee
 
“Yoon’s collection of eight richly textured stories explore the themes of family, lost love, silence, alienation and the effects of the Japanese occupation and the Korean War on the poor communities of a small South Korean island . . . Yoon’s stories are introspective and tender while also painting with bold strokes the details of the lives of the invisible.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)