Pre-order Honey in the Wound

Avid Reader Press US April 7, 2026

Manilla Press UK April 16, 2026

A lyrical and suspenseful debut novel about a mysteriously gifted Korean family confronting the brutality of the Japanese empire, Honey in the Wound is an epic tale of survival and the reclamation of power.

A sister disappears and returns as a tiger. A mother’s voice compels the truth from any tongue. A granddaughter divines secrets in others’ dreams. These women are all of one lineage—a Korean family split across decades and borders by Japanese imperialism.

At this saga’s heart is Young-Ja, a girl who infuses food with her emotions. She revels in her gift for cooking, nourishing the people she loves with her cheerfulness. But her sunny childhood comes to an end in 1931 when Japanese soldiers crush her family’s defiance against the Empire. Young-Ja is cast adrift, her food turning increasingly bitter with grief. When a Korean rebel fighter notices her talents, however, she is whisked off to Manchuria to join a secretive sisterhood of beautiful teahouse spies. There, Young-Ja finds a new sense of belonging and starts using her abilities for the resistance. But the Imperial Army is not yet finished with her…

Decades later, Young-Ja lives alone in Seoul, withdrawn from the world until her Tokyo-born granddaughter Rinako bursts into her life with the ability to see into dreams. In cultivating a tentative bond, they confront the long-buried past in a stunning emotional climax.

As an unforgettable family perseveres in the long shadow of colonialism, Honey in the Wound transports readers to mountain forests where tiger-girls stalk, to Manchurian teahouses and opium dens where charming smiles veil secrets, and to the modern metropolises of Tokyo and Seoul where restless ghosts stir. This debut novel is a tender yet powerful multi-generational drama that shines light onto the twentieth century’s darkest corners and gives voice to those who bore witness.

Praise for Honey in the Wound

“Honey in the Wound is unspeakable history given the power of myth and fable. Every word is truer than truth.” —Anton Hur, International Booker Prize nominated translator and author of Toward Eternity

“Honey in the Wound is a spellbinding debut, both a lyrical fable and unflinching testimony. Jiyoung Han deftly weaves magical realism into a devastating account of the Japanese Imperial Army's brutality in the early 20th century, granting her characters—and voices like them silenced throughout history—power and agency. The resulting work leaves one shaken. Absolutely unforgettable.” —Karissa Chen, USA Today bestselling author of Homeseeking

“In Han’s courageous debut, magic is a form of resistance which, like hope, bolsters the human spirit. Within seemingly ordinary people, there are extraordinary powers. This isn’t just a story, it’s a record of the brutality of invasion, occupation, and war. Honey in the Wound is a book to remember, and Han is an author to watch.” —Eve J. Chung, USA Today bestselling author of Daughters of Shandong

"With heartbreaking passion, Honey in the Wound refuses to turn away from the dark underbelly of history, putting words to those who are forgotten and who survive despite. Jiyoung Han’s prose is lush and fiercely inventive, wresting immense beauty and hope from great despair. This is a startling and unforgettable debut." —Janika Oza, author of A History of Burning

“A fierce and mythic family saga, Honey in the Wound moves with the urgency of anti-colonial resistance and the grace of folklore. Even as history bears down, its most magical moments rise from the sorrow, fury, and enduring love of ordinary lives. Refusing to let the ghosts of the Japanese empire fall silent, the novel honors the truth still burning in the wound.” —Silvia Park, author of Luminous

“A spellbinding epic that captures the resilience and spirit of Jiyoung Han’s unforgettably drawn characters. I’ll be thinking about this powerful debut for many years to come.” —Jung Yun, author of Shelter and O Beautiful