On this episode of Everything is Canon, Steve talks to June Hur all about her brand-new book, The Forest of Stolen Girls which follows Min Hwani as she returns to her home island of Jeju Korea after her father vanishes while investigating the disappearance of 13 young women. With the help of her estranged sister, she must unravel this mystery all while putting the pieces of her own life back together.
Here’s the summary…
Hwani’s family has never been the same since she and her younger sister went missing and were later found unconscious in the forest, near a gruesome crime scene. The only thing they remember: Their captor wore a painted-white mask.
To escape the haunting memories of this incident, the family flees their hometown. Years later, Detective Min—Hwani’s father—learns that thirteen girls have recently disappeared under similar circumstances, and so he returns to their hometown to investigate… only to vanish as well.
Determined to find her father and solve the case that tore their family apart, Hwani returns home to pick up the trail. As she digs into the secrets of the small village—and reconnects with her now estranged sister—Hwani comes to realize that the answer lies within her own buried memories of what happened in the forest all those years ago.
Set in 1426 during Joseon Dynasty Korea, The Forest of Stolen Girls is a tightly wound historically pertinent murder/mystery that is both exhilarating and highly emotional. June has crafted a near perfect story here with flawless execution, tone, and tempo. It’s one of those books that is incredibly difficult to put down once you’ve cracked it.
Steve and June talk about June’s love of the Choson Dynasty Korea, her familial roots to the island of Jeju, my current obsession with Haneyeo divers, and so much more.
For more information please visit JuneHur.com!
The Forest of Stolen Girls is out now, click one of the links below to order a copy today!
Bookshop (U.S.) | Indigo (Canada)
