Eva is re-born out of an airplane in 1975. She used to be Nam Sook from Korea, but the authorities think a Danish name would be more appropriate, so she becomes Eva from Denmark instead. She arrives in Denmark with ten other orphaned children, one of them being Gull-Mai. In the beginning, Gull-Mai and Eva visit each other once a year and exchange letters regularly to nourish their bond, but the friendship gradually trickles away. When Eva is around fourteen, all that is left between them is silence – a silence that will come to span nearly thirty years.
As time passes, Eva grows up and goes to a school where most of the students are white, and she is constantly reminded of the fact that she is different. A feeling of alienation takes root within her. When Eva and Gull-Mai finally cross paths again as adults, buried truths about Gull-Mai’s childhood are brought to the surface. She shares the story of her painful upbringing, and something stirs in Eva – she feels compelled to write about their experiences as adopted children in Denmark. As the words pour out of her, laced with frustration and pain, Eva begins to unravel the comforting myth about the ‘happy adoption’, exposing the quiet grief and hidden struggles often carried by adoptees.
With a beautiful yet unflinching prose, Eva tells a story that transcends borders. MIN KIM is a novel about finding your identity and family while dismantling the illusions surrounding international adoption. Through Eva’s inner and deeply personal journey, the novel becomes a powerful and authentic exploration of what it means to belong.
Eva is re-born out of an airplane in 1975. She used to be Nam Sook from Korea, but the authorities think a Danish name would be more appropriate, so she becomes Eva from Denmark instead. She arrives in Denmark with ten other orphaned children, one of them being Gull-Mai. In the beginning, Gull-Mai and Eva visit each other once a year and exchange letters regularly to nourish their bond, but the friendship gradually trickles away. When Eva is around fourteen, all that is left between them is silence – a silence that will come to span nearly thirty years.
As time passes, Eva grows up and goes to a school where most of the students are white, and she is constantly reminded of the fact that she is different. A feeling of alienation takes root within her. When Eva and Gull-Mai finally cross paths again as adults, buried truths about Gull-Mai’s childhood are brought to the surface. She shares the story of her painful upbringing, and something stirs in Eva – she feels compelled to write about their experiences as adopted children in Denmark. As the words pour out of her, laced with frustration and pain, Eva begins to unravel the comforting myth about the ‘happy adoption’, exposing the quiet grief and hidden struggles often carried by adoptees.
With a beautiful yet unflinching prose, Eva tells a story that transcends borders. MIN KIM is a novel about finding your identity and family while dismantling the illusions surrounding international adoption. Through Eva’s inner and deeply personal journey, the novel becomes a powerful and authentic exploration of what it means to belong.