The writer, Kim So-yeon, who have released in-depth historical children’s books, including ‘Myung-hye’, the Best Book in the 11th Changbi’s ‘Good Children’s Book’ Award, ‘Flower Shoe’, ‘Jomak in Traveling Entertainer Group’, published the first youth novel in her life. This book has a speedy structure with vivid demonstration of Japan in 1920 and actual figures like Park,Yeol and Kaneko Hoomiko, etc. The universal sentiment regardless of time, such as solitude and love for missing people of the main character, Dong-cheon, can be a solid ground for this book to be recognized by opening a new chapter in historical novels for youth.
It has been already 20 years since the abolishment of caste system in Cho-Sun, but people in Goo-Seong province of North Pyeongan-do still live by following the old tradition and practices. Dong-cheon, who was born by his noble father and slave mother, feels frustrated with his own position, since he cannot entirely belong to any side. One day in spring of a year, the central government ordered to keep men’s hair short and elementary schools were introduced instead of ‘Seo-Dang’, the traditional educational unit, in his small town. Dakeda, a Japanese teacher of elementary school, encourages Dong-cheon to dream bigger, and he finally goes to Japan thanks to Dakeda’s encouragement.
Dong-cheon dreams of new inventions, bright future, and most of all, wants to find out who he really is after being free from the status system. However, what he faces with is a totally different from what he wanted to find out. Goomamoto, a secretive owner of used book shop, Park Yeol, a great spiritual activist for Cho-Sun’s independent movement, the great earthquake in Kanto area of Japan, and massacre of Cho-sun people.