8 Lives of a Century Old Trickster

A playful, ambitious and action-packed novel that explores the turbulent story of twentieth-century Korea through the life of one remarkable, charismatic - and unreliable - woman 'A dazzling, visceral read. Intricately woven and playful, the prose has a brutal beating energy. At its heart is the fascinating Ms Mook, and the kaleidoscope of her life is a captivating history of Korea, a country torn apart' Catherine Cho, author of Inferno'Stunning ... Lee is a master at storytelling' Lyn Liao Butler, author of Red Thread of Fate'Fantastically original doesn't begin to describe this exhilarating, globe-spanning, decade-hopping masterpiece. Lee has achieved the impossible - from a fractured century of agonies and betrayals, she has woven a novel of immense beauty and regeneration' Junot Díaz, author of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao'An unforgettable character and a bold, inventive narrative that takes us through history. Astonishing, compassionate and ambitious' Krys Lee, author of How I Became a North Korean'Unflinching and tender, philosophical and mischievous, this playful novel conveys a sense of Korea's turbulent twentieth century through a charming, compelling protagonist who is not always a reliable narrator but who tells the truths that matter. I was captivated by Lee's masterful storytelling' Melissa Fu, author of Peach Blossom Spring THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER'Captivating' New York Times'Dazzling' Financial Times'A cracking good read' Historical Novel SocietySLAVE. ESCAPE-ARTIST. MURDERER. TERRORIST. SPY. LOVER. MOTHER. TRICKSTER.At the Golden Sunset retirement home, it is not unusual for residents to invent stories. So when elderly Ms Mook first begins to unspool her memories, the obituarist listening to her is sceptical. Stories of captivity, friendship, murder, assumed identities and spying. A life that moves from WWII Indonesia to Busan during the Korean war; from cold-war Pyongyang to a Protestant church in China. The adventures are so colourful and various, at times so unbelievable. Surely they can't all belong to the same woman. Can they? As playful and thought-provoking as it is compelling, as brutal and harrowing as it is achingly poignant and tender, this is a novel about love and war, deceit and betrayal, about identity, storytelling and the trickery required for survival.