You may remember an article I wrote a few weeks ago about Forgotten Country, in which I reflected on Choate’s tradition of assigning a book for the entire student body to read over the summer. However, the process doesn’t end with the last page: it continues into the school year, when Choate brings the author of the book to speak in front of the school. My feelings on Forgotten Country were ambiguous before, but with author Catherine Chung’s recent visit to campus, I have begun to see the experience in a new light.
Mrs. Chung was likeable and warm, in stark contrast to Forgotten Country’s tone. It was hard to imagine that she — a kind, relatable woman — wrote such a harrowing story of grief and struggle. However, as she began to reveal the circumstances of its creation, the plot’s origin began to make sense.
It seemed fitting that she had completed the book ten years ago. A lot can change about a person in ten years, and a lot of parts of her personality can become more or less apparent as her life progresses.
It’s strange, but through reading any book, we really are getting to know a past version of its author. Mrs. Chung put so much of herself into Forgotten Country, digging deep through herself to unearth everything: her Korean-American culture, her love of fairytales, and her feelings of injustice over the North-South Korean divide. In a way, reading the book was akin to looking into the author’s mind through a distorting kaleidoscope.
Furthermore, after seeing how she is in real life, I can see a new lightness in the anecdotal folktales from the novel. Learning about Mrs. Chung’s passion for fairytales makes me reflect on the book even more warmly. It means more now that I know that these stories aren’t just sterile narratives arising as from a Google search. Rather, they were treasured parts of the author’s childhood.
While reading books, fiction especially, a reader tries to find connection with the story, pondering the book’s morals and contextualizing her identity within the book’s parameters. Personally hearing from the novel’s author provided me valuable insight that allowed me to truly consider where I stand in relation to the story itself.
Choate’s tradition of inviting the summer reading novel’s author to speak to the student body makes the entire reading experience more valuable. The opportunity to absorb material from the author directly prompts deeper contemplation of the novel’s themes. The chance to hear the author of our summer reading novel in person must be treasured.
