Island of Fantasy

In this fascinating memoir, the author says goodbye to a mundane existence in America and, given a free air ticket and apartment, ventures to teach English on a remote island off the coast of South Korea. Dubbed The Island of Fantasy by its inhabitants, Koje-do is a mixture of charm and peaceful beauty. But in its city center sits Wonder School, a place of frantic chaos and disorganization. Treated like an English-speaking slave by the school's owners, Matthews struggles to teach students unlike anything his recruiter, the unscrupulous Mr. Wong, had depicted. Outside the job he meets a cast of memorable characters including the mysterious Choi and two-timing Natasha. Eye-popping and downright hilarious, the chronicle spins into a whirlwind that leaves the reader either stunned or laughing on the floor.