Rating: 
Summary: Touching - Insightful - An Amazing Storytelling adventure
Review: A friend recommended this book to me and now I recommend it to everyone. Of course you will learn a great deal about Korean culture (including some Korean-American culture), but you will also learn about people struggling against all odds, suffering, joy, the power of family and a strong and risk taking mother, as well as daughter. The power and depth of these people inspires me to live my life with greater courage and gratitude. A must read! I met Helie at a booksigning and she is wonderful. She is down to earth and very present and available when you speak with her. I felt as though she was interested in my story, not her story alone. Helie and her family are wonderful people and they give a glimpse of what a family who takes risks can accomplish for love.
Rating:
Summary: Still Life With Rice - good story teller
Review: Although some may question the accuracy of some events, I really enjoyed the way the writer told the story. She brought to life all of the bland text book information concerning the wars and how it was to live through them and what one would remember of them so many years later...how it still affects their lives and their descendents. It inspired me to be brave and ask my grandma about her experiences through these same wars and her way of life and I'm so happy I did as I have gained so much by it. It would never had occurred to me that she had gone through so much pain, and become so strong that I exist today because of it.
Rating: 
Summary: Harrowing tale of survival
Review: Although the book begins with the tale of the modern granddaughter who is rankled by her grandmother's Korean ways, it quickly moves to the grandmother's tale of life as a Korean woman living in Korea in the first half of the twentieth century. The grandmother survives cultural oppression, the invasion of the Japanese, and the subsequent invasion of the Chinese Red Army. Her harrowing account of fleeing North Korea as a refugee with her children is unforgettable. Her story is enhanced by her detached, but honest retelling of her life as a wife and mother during wartime.
Rating:
Summary: a window to a courageous korean woman's life
Review: As a Korean-American who has little knowledge of the cultural history of Korea, I found Helie Lee's book both informative and entertaining. She did a good job protraying her grandmother as a courageous and strong woman. Her book gave me a renewed the respect for my Korean elders who are so often seen in America as helpless and weak because of their language and cultural barriers. I would recommend this book especially to those who are interested in life in Korea before the (Korean) war, but are estranged culturally, geographically, or linguistically from grandparents who would be able to account such expriences first hand. Helie Lee's book opened up a new dialog between my mother and me about her own life in Korea before immigration to the States and stories she had heard from her mother about Korea in the early 20th century.
Rating:
Summary: A world we can't imagine
Review: As a mother myself, my heart broke reading this story of courage. Though the first chapter was more like a travel journal, the story became engrossing when grandmother's story took over. Though the writing is somewhat amatuerish at times, the story is none-the-less emotional and compelling. I learned a lot about life in Korea - a life we in America could not imagine. I heartily recommend this story of courage.
Rating: 
Summary: This is what it means to write badly...
Review: As a person who immigrated to the US at the age of 13, I found Ms. Lee book disappointing and boring. It was not a revelation of anything interesting and I hope no one -- non-Koreans or Koreans born in the US -- takes this book as a good introduction to the Korean culture and its people. I had a lot of problems with this book. First and foremost is the writing. It was terrible. Throughout the story, I felt forced to feel something for the characters and their plight. I was never drawn to them and many of the scenes were so overly dramatic. Some of the things made no sense, either. For example, 1) how could a mother abandon her kids and live rather comfortably at the leper's colony even though her intentions were noble? 2) Despite being such a devout Christian, she practiced a healing method that seemed anti-Christian (even though I was reading the book from a non-religious point of view), 3) how could the parents give American names to the kids born in Korean even if their goal was to immigrate to the US? Giving an American name implies a desire to assimilate, to be accepted more easily, not to stand out... Not that I am critical of that decision but in the context of her story, filled with zealously proud Koreans, it made no sense. I am glad Ms. Lee finally appreciated her grandmother sacrifices but she made broad generalizations -- like those made by non-Koreans -- that Koreans are proud, passionate people with strong sense of virtue, hospitality, and inner strength and resilienc. These are human traits found in any race.
Rating:
Summary: An intimate portrayal of a foreign life.
Review: As an English as a Second Language instructor, the account by Helie Lee of her grandmother's life enilightened me. Many Korean women have passed through our doors for instruction in English as a way to becoming self-sufficient in a somewhat cruel world. Clearly, Helie's book in her grandmother's voice speaks volumes to those of us who try to understand and instruct those who cross the thresholds of the familiar.
Rating:
Summary: Bad writing, embarrassing details
Review: As stated by others here, the writing is pretty bad especially at the beginning of the book. Aside from that, I also had a problem with Ms. Lee's descriptions of the some details of her grandmother's sexual life. Native Korean women especially the elderly tend not to speak openly and directly about their sex lives. Even the youth today, although more sexually active and liberal than their ancestors, still don't speak so bluntly about that area of their lives. Even if her grandmother is different and revealed that information to her, would she have wanted it published in a book? Also, since she is this devout Christian now, I would think she would want to hold back that information. So, my guess is that Ms. Lee just added those parts in to sell the book. The reason this bothers me so much is not because of its explicit nature. If this were a work of fiction, it wouldn't bother me at all. It's because Ms. Lee claims her purpose in writing this novel is to show her admiration and respect for her grandmother. But, this intimate (and most likely made up)information seems insulting to her grandmother. Especially as a Korean-American, if I had to say something publicly about my grandmother (like in a novel for all to read), I would not say anything embarrassing about her. As a result, I feel insulted for the grandmother. One other thing that bothered me a bit is her grandmother's excuse of moving to China and the States to be more Korean. I discussed this concept with native Koreans about the history of Koreans moving to China. Also, based on my knowledge of why Koreans move to the States, it appears that her reason sounds really nice, but I think it's a lie. Koreans generally move because they want more success and money. Especially in Ms. Lee's family's case, they were not in imminent danger and yet decided to move. Notice how rich and successful they become once they moved to China and the States (the reference to "expensive homes").
Rating: 
Summary: Still Life Keeps Going
Review: At times, the true story of Helie Lee's grandmother's life during the Korean War seems too incredulous to be true. And yet, somehow I kept turning the pages, hungry for the next account of daring and human spirit. This is a great story, with many twists and turns. Unfortunately, the book fell short of reconciliation between grandmother and granddaughter, which seemed to be the opening premise.
Rating:
Summary: 5 stars and 5 boxes of kleenex
Review: I began reading this compelling story while I was in Korea. Only the beautiful scenery of the this lovely country kept me from finishing the book quickly. The story and the prose are rich. Read it to understand the Korean perspective of the war. Read it to understand Korean sensibilities and beliefs.
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