Review by DavidOchieng -- The Vanished by Pejay Bradley

[Ochieng Omuodo]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Vanished" by Pejay Bradley.]

---

3 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

“From a sickly and frail mama’s boy emerged a young man of resolution and determination.” That statement by Pejay Bradley is the essence of her book, The Vanished, which describes the transformation of a boy, Embon, into manhood; a finding of purpose in life, if you like. Being a historical fiction, The Vanished cannot be and is not about just one person.

The story is set in the beginning of the 20th century. Korea is in turbulent transition. Her culture is vanishing, courtesy of exposure to social, political, and military interference in the 19th century by France, Russia, the United States of America, Britain, and the main culprit, Japan. The lives of individuals and entire families are destroyed as this proud nation struggles to survive, a struggle embodied directly by Embon and his mother Lady Sougyon, from whose perspective the primary part of the story is told. The life of this family reflects the culture of the Korean nobility, which is in decline socially and economically. Embon leads a privileged life, but ends up embroiled in Korea’s struggle for independence from Japan. The depressing life of his mother, scarred by a failed marriage, gives an insight into the intricacies of Korean family traditions with regard to gender and family roles and expectations.

Indeed this book packs so many interesting issues in what has to be a small size for a historical fiction. I found myself immersed in the socio-economic environment of Korea in the early 20th century. Bradley presents various significant aspects of Korean life during this era including the class nature of society and the decline of the aristocratic structure, challenges to the traditional gender roles, complex match-making for marriage, and, of course, the impunity of Japanese brutality in their domination of Korea and determination to erase her way of life.

The most admirable aspect of The Vanished is Bradley’s ability to remain true to the historical facts. Her rendition of key events – for example, ancient wars with Japan, proselytization by the French Catholics, and political pro-independence events – were accurate. So, although I am tempted to complain about the heavy detail she puts into describing fictional scenes and settings, there is something of a balance between fiction and history. Other interesting aspects included the description of the engagement of women to support military conflict in spite of their subservient role and lesser value relative to men in Korean society, and the way the social pretensions of the nobility fly in the face of change in much the same way as happened in Europe during the industrial revolution.

There is only one significant negative about the book. There is no glossary. This would have provided a useful reference for the non-English terms as sometimes they are not explained in the narrative, which limited the depth of understanding for me. I firmly believe an author should not assume her reader knows the terms used. It is because of this that I rate the book three out of four stars instead of giving a perfect score.

Nevertheless, the book is excellently edited. I only found a single spelling inconsistency and I cannot fault the grammar. There is no profanity even in conversations involving young men or combatants in bars and a military camp, which is surprising to me. There is mild sexual content on a couple of occasions.

The Vanished is a must-read for people interested in, not just historical fiction, but also in learning how to weave together history and fiction seamlessly without compromising the value of either. That is seldom achieved in this genre.

******
The Vanished
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[Kasun Perera]

The mentioning about needing but lacking of a glossary for this book is a new thing that I didn't find in any other review. Thank you

[Chigo Nwagboso]

This a book im looking forward to reading. I'm not a fan of historical fiction but this one piqued my interest. Thanks for an insightful review.

[Bookishkrish24]

I have read and reviewed this book and found it very interesting. Thanks for the review.

[Marcel Cantu]

I liked the quote you used to begin this review. Great work

[Ochieng Omuodo]

The mentioning about needing but lacking of a glossary for this book is a new thing that I didn't find in any other review. Thank you

I was amazed it didn't have one. That can limit an author's reach in terms of audience.

[Ochieng Omuodo]

This a book im looking forward to reading. I'm not a fan of historical fiction but this one piqued my interest. Thanks for an insightful review.

Thanks. It made me so curious that I had to read up on Korean history.

[Ochieng Omuodo]

I have read and reviewed this book and found it very interesting. Thanks for the review.

I wonder what you thought of the ending. It seemed to just sneak up on me... suddenly the pages were finished!

[Ochieng Omuodo]

I liked the quote you used to begin this review. Great work

Thank you.

[MsH2k]

I read this book and learned so much. Thank you for your thoughtful review.

[Dimi1]

Very analytical review and to the point. I find your viewpoint really engaging and the glossary thing is something that I was also missing but couldn't actually specify it. Good work!

[Ochieng Omuodo]

Very analytical review and to the point. I find your viewpoint really engaging and the glossary thing is something that I was also missing but couldn't actually specify it. Good work!

Thank you!

[Ochieng Omuodo]

I read this book and learned so much. Thank you for your thoughtful review.

Thank you.

[Laura Ungureanu]

I really enjoyed this book and can say that your review captures a lot of its essence. You seem to know a lot about the historical fiction genre, so congrats!

[Ochieng Omuodo]

I really enjoyed this book and can say that your review captures a lot of its essence. You seem to know a lot about the historical fiction genre, so congrats!

Thank you. I love history and fiction is a fun way to read about it.