The Seed of Joy by William Amos,PCV South Korea, 1979
The Novel
The Koreans have a saying: “Trouble is the seed of joy.” Paul Harkin, an American Peace Corps Volunteer, is sent to South Korea. A Korean political activist, Han Mi Jin, tutors him in the Korean language. As a Volunteer, Paul is forbidden to get involved in the politics of the country; however, as his relationship with Mi Jin grows, he finds it impossible to stay out of the maelstrom of Korea’s struggle for democracy. Mi Jin has trouble in her personal life as well: she must consent to an arranged marriage, one that she desperately wants to escape. Against this turbulent backdrop, a love story unfolds. Leaving both her parents and the Peace Corps behind, Mi Jin and Paul finally find happiness in the midst of the largest insurrection in Korea’s history. The novel reaches a tragic yet ultimately hopeful climax in the brutally suppressed Kwangju Uprising of May, 1980.
Much of this novel, especially in the details, is written from personal experience. I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Korea during the time in which the story takes place. While I did not take part in the Uprising, I was in country when the assassination, the coup d'etat, the Uprising, and other historical events were happening. Several of my colleagues were in Kwangju and spoke with me at length about their experiences. The novel, therefore, is built on a solid foundation of fact. But please remember that this is a novel, not a work of history. No Peace Corps Volunteers were involved in the Uprising to the extent portrayed in the story. The plot is entirely fictional, and I have used considerable artistic license in portraying people and events.
The Author
William Amos as a US Peace Corps Volunteer in South Korea, 1979
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The Seed of Joy is William Amos' first novel. He writes a monthly column for KnowBetter.com called "Night Thoughts of an eNovelist" and presented at the ePublishing 2000 Conference in London in November, 2000. Born and raised in Madison, Wisconsin, he currently lives in Boise, Idaho with his wife and two sons.
The Publisher
Founded in 1995, Online Originals is one of the oldest electronic-only publishers in the eBook industry. The house's book catalog includes thrillers, historical and literary fiction, cultural commentary, and even science.
Uniquely, Online Originals maintains two separate book lists, one called "Works" containing books selected for their literary or intellectual quality and professionally edited, and another called "OO Direct," comprised of titles chosen from thousands of submissions and offered to readers "exactly as written by the authors."
The Sunday Times of London calls Online Originals "The world leader in publishing on the web because of its elegant approach and stringently selected titles. A beguiling range of international writers."