Sea of Trolls (chapter 1-12, setting)

The Sea of Trolls, by Nancy Farmer, is a story full of adventure and suspense. Jack was an 11 year old child of a farmer in a small village. Set in England during the time of Vikings, Jack's small village was a target for an attack by berserkers. Berserkers were warriors who robbed and killed people for fun. Jack was captured by a group of berserkers while protecting his sister, Lucy. Lucy was only 5 years old. She thought it was an adventure, where a group of knights was taking her to her palace. She did not realize the tough time ahead. The siblings were taken out to sea. Then they were taken to slave trading place where they were almost sold as slaves. Fortunately he learned entertaining skills such as singing and playing the harp from his viliage bard. Jack was trying to avoid the bad fate by acting like he had magical skills. Jack's effort paid off. The boss of this group of berserkers, Olaf, was very impressed by Jack's abilities as a bard. He decided to keep Jack and Lucy so that Jack could make a praise-song about him if he died in a battle. They were taken back to the ship.

The two siblings did not like the new home at all: A rocking, swaying ship was no place for two children who had spent most of their life on land. The weather made the matter even worse. The cold winter storms rocked the ship, and Jack became very seasick. The ship was a stout boat, though. It weathered storm after storm. Overall, this book is very absorbing so far. I cannot wait to read more about the fate of these two young children and the berserkers.

So Far From the Bamboo Grove

I really enjoyed this book. The author (Yoko Kawashima) wrote it beautifully about her own experience. It was impossible not to feel the emotion she had when she wrote this story. At many points, I could almost imagine it happening. The suspense built up, almost to the point where I couldn't take it anymore. Then the family was reunited and the story came to an end. I thought the story ended too quickly. For example the author skipped the falling action and resolution (two parts of the plot) and went straight from the climax to the end. That is the only part where I think the author could have extended the story further.

Overall, however, this book seems to be an argument against war. It was a window into a time when war was destroying countries. It showed that when war happens, many innocent people from all sides can die because just a few people started the war. It reminded me of the Yuan Dynasty in China (period of Mongolian rule). The Mongolians invaded China and massacred many innocent people. The native Chinese were discriminated and treated cruelly. In the end, the Chinese overthrew the Mongolian power in the same way the Koreans overthrew the Japanese. It was a lose-lose situation: both Japanese and Korean civilians were killed even though they were not soldiers.

Overall, this book is very good. The story told us we need to be strong and brave to survive in the harsh environment. It also tells us how cruel a war is to everyone. I think we should also read books about how the Koreans and Asian people suffered when the Japanese invaded their countries to get a full picture about the history.

So far From the Bamboo Grove (chapters 4-7)

Hideyo, Yoko's brother, was working at the ammunition factory when it was attacked. He saw almost all the other workers got killed by Korean soldiers. Meanwhile, Yoko, her mother, Mrs. Kawashima, and Ko were at the port of Pusan. They got on a boat to Fukuoka, Japan. After that, they rode a train to Kyoto. In Kyoto, Ko and Yoko were signed up for schools. Their mother went to their grandparents' house to see how it was going there.

The part where the Koreans attacked the Japanese escapees brought a deep sorrow on me. Those people were just civilians trying to get away from a war-torn country, but they were killed just for being Japanese. Even if the Koreans had been oppressed for years, it was hard to believe that they would kill innocent people. I can understand that they would want to destroy the ammunition factory, since it was making weapons that would be used to kill Koreans, but civilians should be left out of the horrors of war.

The train station of Seoul was very crowded. It was full of thieves and beggars. Yoko, Ko, and their mother took turns to take care of their belongings and saving each others' spots. They were the target of a thief, but the family was able to protect themselves. At the same time, they searched any trains for Hideyo, but could not find him. The warehouse in Pusan was also very crowded, but with Japanese refugees. By then, Yoko was very sick (from her chest wound caused by a bomb's explosion earlier). An older man was telling her to get up and kicking at her to make room for him, but Yoko had to lie down. Her mother, using the sword, scared the man away. The whole family had to pretend to be boys, because the Korean men were "hunting maidens for their pleasure".

The Kawashima's stopped in Kyoto to sign the girls up for school: Yoko at the Sagano Girls' School, and Ko at the University. This showed that she believed that a good education led to a good life. This is similar to Confucianism (historical note: The Japanese adopted Confucianism, but did not believe that the emperor had to be honest, since he was considered to be divine).
Mrs. Kawashima valued bravery, strength, honesty, compassion, and generosity. The girls generally shared those values. On the hospital train that got bombed, they shared blankets, food, and water with sick people. On the train to Pusan, they shared their food with an elderly man who had helped them got on the train. When there were explosions around them, they did what they had been trained to do by lying down flat on the ground. They didn't panic.

So Far From the Bamboo Grove

In So Far From the Bamboo Grove, the Kawashima family had to flee from Korea on July 29, 1945. That was because the Koreans resented Japanese occupation of Korea. A group of Korean soldiers, calling themselves the Korean Communist Army, were fighting against the Japanese army and killing Japanese living in Korea. Americans and Russians were also fighting against the Japanese because Japan invaded many Asian countries.

As I read the beginning of the story, I felt worried for the Kawashima's. I also pitied them, since they were being chased by many Korean soldiers.

Yoko, the youngest daughter of the Kawashima family, lived in Korea with her family. That was because her father had work as a government official in Manchuria (an area in northern Korea, according to the book. In fact it is northeast of China). Since the Kawashima's are Japanese, some Koreans disliked them. When the Japanese invaded Korea, many Koreans became oppressed for years and many were killed by Japanese. The resentment built up, and the Koreans rebelled. The Korean Communist Army began killing any Japanese people they found. That forced the Kawashima's to flee their home in Korea.

At one point in their flight, a group of Korean soldiers found them. Ironically, the bombers (who were trying to kill Japanese) accidentally killed the Korean soldiers. That was because the Koreans did not know what to do when a bombing began. They were killed, but the Kawashima's survived by lying flat on the ground.

Yoko and Ko are sisters. Ko, referred to as Honorable Sister, had more authority. Still, the two of them acted like equals. Yoko thought Ko was bossy, since she kept telling the family what to do. However, she was really just trying to keep them safe and alive.

The life or death situation that the Kawashima's faced made them stronger and braver. I don't think most people would react the same way: instead of trying to save themselves, they would just panic and wait for the "knight in shining armor" to come and save them. Unfortunately, in this story, the knight in shining armor wasn't there. It was due to the fact that Ko did not panic that the Kawashima's made it out of their house and to the train to Seoul.

The part where the Koreans attacked the Japanese ammunition factory made the deepest impression on me. It was hard to believe that anyone could be so angry that they would attack and kill people less than twenty years old. Then I learned that the hatred was really caused by the invasion and cruelty of the Japanese army.

Eventually, the Kawashima's were able to get to the harbor. They got on board a boat to Japan.
Yoko was disappointed when she got to Japan, since it seemed so barren. That wasn't a surprise: Two atomic bombs had just been dropped on two cities. These cities were destroyed.

After the attack at the ammunition factory, Hideyo (Yoko's older brother), who survived the attack, escaped back to his home. Unfortunately, his family already left. Hideyo gathered supplies for a long journey to find his family: Food, water, a cooking pot, candles, and matches. He also got clothing. That proves he was strong and able to survive, like Ko.

It was very crowded in Seoul and Pusan. The family had to protect each other.

Mrs. Kawashima was brave, strong, honest, and generous. Yoko and Ko were very much like her. For example, on the medical train (Chapter 2), they gave food, water, and blankets to others. They faced bombs and soldiers without backing down, and they helped each other.
Ko was able to handle any situation. I am sure that if she were trapped on an island alone, she would be able to escape. If I were in a difficult situation, I would want her with me. Having Ko with me would be a great example to learn survival skills. She would know what to do, where to go, and be able to keep me strong.