Hwang Sun-won is one of the most beloved and respected Korean writers of the twentieth century. This extraordinary novel is based on his own experience in his North Korean village at a historic turning point for modern Korea between the end of World War II (and with it the end of the 35-year Japanese occupation of Korea) and the eve of the Korean War just when Korea had been divided into North and South by its two "liberators" - the United States and the Soviet Union. Portrayed here is an entire community caught in a political and social firestorm that scathingly reveals the selfishness, cruelty, and ignorance of simple people, but also their loyalty and nobility.