Lemon: A NovelNew York Times Book Review: Editor’s Choice Philadelphia Inquirer: Best Book of the Month World Literature Today: Notable Translation of the Year CrimeReads: Best International Crime Novel of the Year Ms. Magazine: Most Anticipated Book of the Year Washington Independent Review of Books: Favorite Book of the Year Parasite meets The Good Son in this piercing psychological portrait of three women haunted by a brutal, unsolved crime. In the summer of 2002, when Korea is abuzz over hosting the FIFA World Cup, eighteen-year-old Kim Hae-on is killed in what becomes known as the High School Beauty Murder. Two suspects quickly emerge: rich kid Shin Jeongjun, whose car Hae-on was last seen in, and delivery boy Han Manu, who witnessed her there just a few hours before her death. But when Jeongjun’s alibi checks out, and no evidence can be pinned on Manu, the case goes cold. Seventeen years pass without any resolution for those close to Hae-on, and the grief and uncertainty take a cruel toll on her younger sister, Da-on, in particular. Unable to move on with her life, Da-on tries in her own twisted way to recover some of what she’s lost, ultimately setting out to find the truth of what happened. Shifting between the perspectives of Da-on and two of Hae-on’s classmates struck in different ways by her otherworldly beauty, Lemon ostensibly takes the shape of a crime novel. But identifying the perpetrator is not the main objective here: Kwon Yeo-sun uses this well-worn form to craft a searing, timely exploration of privilege, jealousy, trauma, and how we live with the wrongs we have endured and inflicted in turn. |
Contents
SHORTS | 1 |
POEM 2006 | 23 |
LEMON 2010 | 47 |
ROPE 2010 | 71 |
KNEES 2010 | 83 |
GOD 2015 | 107 |
SARCOMA 2017 | 121 |
747 | 141 |
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Common terms and phrases
baby beauty believe brother called cancer Chungcheong death déjà vu detective Doctor dragging his feet dwarfism eggs everything Ewing sarcoma eyes face feel felt front gaze girl girl thing glanced grin hair Han Manu hand happened head heard Hye-eun June 30 killed knew Korea laugh Lemon lips living looked Manu Manu's mean melon mind mother moved mumbled murder name change needed never once osteosarcoma poems pulled realized Sanghui eonni saw Kim Hae-on scooter seemed seen Senegal Seonu Seoul she'd Shin Jeongjun Shin Jeongjun's car shoes sister's name sitting sleep sofa someone soon started steps stroller sugar twists sure surgery talk tank top tell thing thought told took turned underwear wanted wearing shorts what's whodunnit words World Cup write poetry Yebin yellow dress younger sister Yun Taerim