The Orphan Master's Son
Synopsis: This novel is told from the perspective of two young men living in the world’s most mysterious dictatorship, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, or as Americans call it, North Korea. In Part One, Pak Jun Do begins life in an orphanage. Jun Do gets his first taste of power, and is assigned the job of distributing the meager food rations and assigning the sometimes dangerous work assignments. Along the way, he is forced to make a few questionable moral choices. When he turns 14 he becomes a tunnel soldier, then a kidnapper for the state, and in return for his loyal service is rewarded with language school where he learns English. He then is assigned to “work” on a fishing boat where his real assignment is to intercept and translate foreign radio transmissions. More things happen, some things go wrong, and ultimately he winds up in a prison mining camp. Part Two is told from the perspective of an unnamed interrogator. He has been assigned the job of extracting a confession from Commander Ga, a national war hero. It becomes apparent pretty quickly (to the reader, not the interrogator) that Commander Ga is actually….Jun Do! And so we spend Part Two ultimately unraveling a mystery in which The Dear Leader himself plays not a small part.
Nicholette’s review : I became interested in learning more about North Korea a few years ago and selected two books to begin my education. The first, Under the Loving Care of the Fatherly Leader: North Korea and the Kim Dynasty, is a fascinating, dense, 900+ page masterwork, though I am not reviewing that here. (But if you too want to become a student of North Korea, this is an excellent overview!) The second was this work of fiction. It was well reviewed and won the Pulitzer Prize so I had high expectations and my expectations were actually surpassed. I think it’s rare to find a novel that is equally driven by plot and characters. The story started slow, but became quite a page turner as Jun Do (yep, John Doe, a man in search of his true identity) becomes a more vivid character. It is both a thriller, as well as clever social satire. There were many themes of the novel, but perhaps the one that resonated with me the most is simply that love is being totally honest and transparent with another person. In the context of a society where people are constantly in fear of being turned in to the secret police, where people have to constantly guard their true thoughts and emotions, the gift of total honesty and transparency is a magnificent thing.
Rating: 5/5
Corey review: once again did not read this week’s book. Part of me is intrigued because of the 5/5 rating my mom gave, but the other part of me knows this is not a book I will get into. Any book that starts slow is a no go for me. One thing I can get behind is the burger. Speaking from experience, these are awesome.
Menu : A recurring theme in the book is how important the myth of North Korean superiority is in their culture. At one point in the book, the Dear Leader wants to try and replicate a Texas ranch, but it will be “improved” to his standards. So what could be more American than a burger? This recipe from Rachel Ray is a bit more complicated than your average American burger, but it is without question my favorite burger of all time!
Korean BBQ Burgers
Ingredients
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2-3 tablespoons gochujang
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
3 teaspoons sugar
1 clove garlic, grated
2 cups shredded cabbage (red, green or savoy)
1 cup kimchi, thinly sliced, plus a splash of brine
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 red onion, very thinly sliced
1 1/2 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon canola oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1 inch pieces of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tablespoon warm water
1 tablespoon honey
1 1/2 pound ground beef
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
4 brioche buns, split
toasted sesame seeds
FOR SLAW: in a medium bowl, mix the may, 1 tablespoon each gochujang and sesame oil, the 1 teaspoon grated ginger, 1 teaspoon sugar and the grated garlic. Mix in the cabbage, kimchi and brine, and scallions. Cover and chill.
FOR ONION: in a small saucepan, heat the cider vinegar, the remaining 2 teaspoons sugar and the salt over medium, stirring until dissolved, about 2 minutes. Mis in the onion. Remove from heat. Let stand until cool then drain.
FOR SAUCE: in a medium skillet, heat the 1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil over medium. Add 2 cloves of the minced garlic and one 1 inch piece of grated ginger. Stir until aromatic, about one minute. Add the brown sugar, 1/2 cup of soy sauce and the rice vinegar, dissolved cornstarch, honey, and 1 teaspoon sesame oil. cook, stirring often, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining 1-2 tablespoons gochujang. Reduce heat to low and keep warm.
FOR BURGERS: place the beef in a medium bowl. Season with pepper. Mix in the remaining 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 inch piece of grated ginger, 1 teaspoon soycause, one teaspoon sesame oil, and the Worcestershire sauce. Form into 4 patties. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon canola oil.
Heat a large griddle or grill pain over medium high heat and cook the patties for 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally, for medium. build the burgers by layering bun bottoms, onion, burgers, sauce, sesame seeds, slaw and bun tops.