About the Author

Mary Lynn Bracht is an American author of Korean descent who now lives in London. She has an MA in Creative Writing from Birkbeck, University of London. She grew up in a large ex-pat community of women who came of age in post-war South Korea. In 2002 Bracht visited her mother's childhood village, and it was during this trip she first learned of the ‘Comfort Women’ captured and set up in brothels for the Japanese military. White Chrysanthemum is her first novel.

Reviews

I read it in one sitting
*Observer*

I would also recommend Mary-Lynn Bracht’s novel White Chrysanthemum, a story of family separation in Korea during the 20th century. I learned a lot about Korean culture in this book, but it also has a sweeping story that captivates the reader
*Irish Times Summer Reads*

I read Hana and Emi's story with my heart in my mouth... A bold, devastating, important novel shot through with hope and beauty
*Rachel Joyce*

Introduces a heart-rending seam of history… Bracht has fashioned her own memorial to the comfort women. White Chrysanthemum is a timely and furiously felt book
*Guardian*

A hugely affecting, captivating read -- I cried for most of the second half
*Stylist*

It's jaw-dropping, it's devastating, it's heart-breaking and absolutely beautiful. I couldn't recommend it more
*Sinead Moriarty*

Beautifully written... In elegant but emotionally devastating prose Bracht conveys the heartbreaking impact of brutality and war upon women
*Sunday Express*

Bracht's rich detail and captivating characters bring history vividly to life. An insightful, engaging and deeply emotional page-turner
*Scotsman*

If you're a fan of The Kite Runner and Memoirs of A Geisha, you'll love Mary Lynn Bracht's novel... Both educating and engaging, Bracht’s rich detail and captivating characters plunge you into Korean history in a heartbreaking and deeply emotional page-turner
*i newspaper*

An evocative picture of loss and also an account of how one of the deepest human bonds can survive almost anything
*BBC Radio 4 Today Programme*

An emotional tale of sisterly endurance and a fascinating and harrowing insight into the hidden lives of Korean comfort women... you’ll be captivated. Let the bidding for movie rights begin
*The Pool*

A soul-churning ode to the power of family love (and the ties that bind sisters specifically) and the importance of pursuing justice in the face of systemic silence... an unflinching-but-ultimately-redemptive book that places a much-needed spotlight on a forgotten moment of human horror
*Emerald Street*

Devastatingly good
*Psychologies*

A harrowing and powerful read, offering an insight into the widespread suffering of others during the war
*Vogue*

Bracht brings the truth to light with sensitivity... Bracht's beautiful descriptions are the perfect foil to the brutality... fascinating
*Express*