The Spirit of the Dragon

Written by William Andrews

Narrated by Janet Song and Emily Woo Zeller

From the bestselling author of Daughters of the Dragon comes an epic novel of a star-crossed couple who must defy tradition, war, and prejudice to keep their love alive.

At the urging of a Los Angeles detective, international rights lawyer Anna Carlson assists in a murder investigation. It’s a personal request from Suk-bo Yi, a ninety-nine-year-old woman questioned in a mysterious death at a Koreatown nursing home. A stranger to Anna, Suk-bo has a tale to tell. For reasons of her own, she’s chosen Anna—only Anna—to hear it…

Suk-bo’s story begins in 1937, when the Japanese occupying Korea force her to marry one of their own, named Hisashi. In spite of their differences, they fall madly in love, pitting them against two violently opposing cultures. When Hisashi joins the Japanese Imperial Army and disappears, Suk-bo embarks on a quest through years of war, bigotry, and poverty to find him.

But Suk-bo’s unfolding history reveals more than Anna can imagine: an heirloom comb bearing an intricately carved two-headed dragon binding her to Suk-bo’s past. Soon Anna will discover her own legacy at the heart of Suk-bo’s epic love story.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Dec 3, 2019
• ISBN: 9781799749349

William Andrews

For more than thirty years, William Andrews was a copywriter and a marketing/brand executive with several Fortune 500 companies. For fifteen years, he ran his own advertising agency. At night and on weekends (and sometimes during the workday!), Bill wrote fiction. His first novel, The Essential Truth, won first place in the 2008 Mayhaven Contest for fiction. The Dragon Queen is Bill’s fourth novel and is the second book in his trilogy about Korea, which includes Daughters of the Dragon—A Comfort Woman’s Story and a planned third book. Today, Bill is retired and focused on his writing. He lives in Minneapolis with his wife, who’s been an inner-city schoolteacher for thirty-two years.

Reviews for The Spirit of the Dragon

[Aubrey Kurlansky · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Beautifully narrated beautifully written about an ugly awful time in the history of Japan Korea and China - tragic and moving it brought a tear to my eye more than once

[bookanonjeff · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Gone With The Kimchi. This book has the depth and emotion of Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind, but it is set beginning in 1930s Korea and continuing through the major events of the Korean people from then to now. Never overly graphic, yet conveying the appropriate gravitas regardless, this book highlights so many of the horrors of the Imperial Japanese government during this period - and how being a part of it came to haunt one (fictional) man. Ultimately a story of undying love and an undying belief that we are all truly one people, this is a book that cannot be missed. And if you happen to read Jeremy Robinson's Island 731 before or after, you'll have an even better sense of the true tragedy conveyed in this tale. Very much recommended.

[creighley_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When American Anna Carlson travels to a Korean orphanage to find out about her birth mother, she is devestated to find out that she has died. When the search seems to have ended, an older woman hands her a parcel. In it is a two-headed dragon with five toes. Thus, begins the story of Anna's heritage and her grandmother's past as a comfort woman in occupied Korea.

[hey5mom · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

From the opening pages, this book kept me turning pages at a furious rate. I had been aware of the fact that Japan had invaded Korea in the 2nd world war, but I had no idea of the horrible things that happened to it's citizens. The story of a young girl and her sister, throughout their lives, was pretty amazing. The writer brings these characters to life. This book made me want to do further research in the plight that these "Comfort Women" have taken on. A lovingly told story of a not so lovely time in history.

[girlwellread · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A special thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't know anything about 'comfort women'; the women and girls that were forced into sexual slavery by the Imperial Japanese Army before and during WWII. The name is a euphemism for prostitute(s). Women were either abducted from their homes in countries that were under Japanese rule, or lured with promises of work in factories — our character, Ja-hee and her sister were told they were going to work at a boot factory. I was completely immersed in the flashbacks, but not vested in Anna. As a main character, I felt that she was underdeveloped and flat.

This was an ambitious topic, not only is Andrews writing historical fiction, about another culture, but also as a female. For the most part, I would say he pulls it off. The difference in the rating for me between a four and a five star review is that the narration was made up of short choppy sentences and this abrupt writing style between the passages of dialogue was distracting for me as a reader and the story then became a bit forced.

[eyes92c · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An amazing journey!Searching for her Korean birth mother leads twenty year old American Anna Carlson into a dark story of suffering, anguish and despair that the Japanese nation still has to properly apologize for.This novel is a further example of women caught up into war and used and abused by those who think of themselves as more entitled and more powerful. An age old story.Andrews has woven a wonderful heart wrenching story, without apology, and without false emotions.What unfolds is the life of a young Korean girl, Jae-hee who is terribly and horribly brutalized during the Japanese occupation of Korea; and who is somehow able to emotionally stay strong, despite the dogs of despair nipping at her heals.This is not gushy, not over the top, simply a telling of the journey of one young woman who is used as a sex slave 'comfort woman' by the Japanese. Jae-hee moves to North Korea in the hope of change and a better world. That was not the holy grail it was supposed to be. She then barely escapes with her life to South Korea to struggle as best she may in the aftermath of the Korean War, contending with the shaming prejudices rampant against her and her comfort sister sufferers.Threaded throughout is the mystery of the comb with the two-headed dragon--a comb that Anna is confronted about by North Koreans.A worthy and revealing read.A NetGalley ARC

[readinggrrl · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a riveting tale of courage and triumph. Beautiful and well written this story tells the tragic history of Korea and what happened there. It is sad, hopeful, beautiful and full of life. I couldn't put it down and was sucked in from the beginning. William Andrews captures feel of this tale and really makes you believe it. I almost forgot I was reading a book of fiction. The characters jumped off the page and I could see the dust and feel the pain, courage and spirit to survive.

[mcdenis-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A riveting and well written piece of fictional history based on documented true events of the conscription of thousands of young Asian women by the Japanese Imperial Army to become “comfort women” for its officers and troops. Japan has yet to fully apologize or justly recompense these women. We follow the lives of two Korean teenagers, Jae-Hee and Soo-Hee and the mystery talisman of the golden comb carved with a two-headed dragon and five toes on its claws. They were subject to beatings, multiple rapes, and degradation. After the war, Jae-Hee attempts to integrate herself back into Korean society but Korea becomes divided. She escapes to the South with her daughter Soo-bo but the shame of her past follows her. Anna the orphaned daughter of Soo-Bo comes to Korea from America to discover her past. This is a story that needs to be told and you won’t be disappointed by the author’s excellent narration.I was provided with an electronic copy in return for an honest review.

[jcambridge_4 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a historical novel that deserves a broad audience. A young Korean woman who was adopted by an American couple shortly after she was born, returns to Korea in the hope of finding her birth mother. What she discovers reveals historical events that many, even today, deny ever happened. A sequel to this book is expected to be released in 2016, so I encourage readers to put this one on their reading list.