(reviewed by JD Jung)
#CommissionsEarned
“San’s attraction did not originate this summer. But rather it has lain in wait for millennia before bursting forth all at once. “
San was no stranger to abandonment. Her father left right after she was born, which made her mother the first divorcee in the village. In turn, her mother left before San was an adult. San was also abandoned by her only friend when she was of school age.
Now at twenty-three, she is navigating a new life in her own apartment in Seoul, working in a flower shop. San has always felt insignificant, and the bustling capital in 1990’s Korea doesn’t change that. Though a co-worker befriends her, the loneliness of the past still haunts her, and it is difficult for her to get close to anyone, or should I say to the people who truly care about her.
San’s attraction mentioned above, becomes an all-consuming obsession with a womanizing magazine photographer. Thoughts about him flood her mind whether she is asleep or awake. She even hallucinates that he is constantly with her. Unfortunately, when she is forced to face the truth, she engages in self-destructive behavior to try and erase her insecurities.
We, the readers, wonder if she will try and face the origination of her insecurities and feelings of abandonment. Will she find the courage for self-reflection?
As the story unfolds, we meet engaging and often quirky supporting characters. However, there is so much more to this skillfully written story. Violets unveils not only personal struggles but a broader exploration of societal themes such as loneliness, misogyny, and beauty standards. This is all in the context of a country’s evolving societal norms.
