Yesterday I finished The Red Orchids of Shanghai, and honestly, I feel broken. With everything happening in the world right now, and the direction humanity seems to be going toward, this book obliterated whatever bit of hope I had left in our collective goodness.
For those unfamiliar, it’s a non-fiction book of a 14-year-old Korean girl kidnapped by the Japanese Imperial Army during their occupation of Asia. The story follows her forced journey across East Asia as a "comfort woman"—a euphemism that barely scratches the surface of the systemic dehumanization, abuse, and violence she endured. The worst part? Knowing this isn’t fiction. These were real lives, real atrocities, and real systems.
I’m struggling to process it. Has anyone else read this or similar books and felt this level of despair? How did you move past it? I tried switching to something “lighter” and picked up The Book Thief although I see it's also set during WWII, so maybe not the best desicion from me lol.
by thanatonauta