8 Lives of a Century-Old Trickster [B2058]

2023 HCDJ in gift-worthy condition. SLAVE. ESCAPE-ARTIST. MURDERER. TERRORIST. SPY. LOVER. MOTHER. TRICKSTER. At the Golden Sunset retirement home, it is not unusual for residents to invent stories. So when elderly Ms Mook first begins to unspool her memories, the obituarist listening to her is sceptical. Stories of captivity, friendship, murder, adventure, assumed identities and spying. Stories that take place in WWII Indonesia; in Seoul during the Korean war; in cold-war Pyongyang; in China. The stories are so colourful and various, at times so unbelievable, that they cannot surely all belong to the same woman. Can they? As playful and thought-provoking as it is compelling, as brutal and harrowing as it is achingly poignant and tender, this is a novel about love and war, deceit and betrayal, about identity, storytelling and the trickery required for survival.

From recent Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "Amazing! So stunned by the metaphors and the clever way the story unfolds! I've learned so many historic facts and taken so many notes."; "A masterfully woven story that blends history, humor, and deep emotional resonance. The storytelling is rich, immersive, and full of wit, making it impossible to put down. What I loved most was how the novel seamlessly balances historical depth with moments of lighthearted mischief. It's both thought-provoking and wildly entertaining."; "It's been a while since the last time I read something so good. It explored more on the heavier side of what it means to have your homeland ripped in two, then exploited by the colonial powers, whether its the Japanese empire or the US forces that came after. The author weaved these interconnected historical dots and pieces together beautifully. I got hooked from page 1 on the multiple lives Mrs. Mook Miran lived over the course of a century."; "Very well written! Gives interesting insights into life in North and South Korea."