The White Book

Han Kang

The White Book by Han Kang is a unique, poetic work by a Korean author which takes a look at mourning and mortality. It is a celebration of life and a contemplation of death. It is reminiscent of a journal, as the protagonist recollects her late mother’s life, considering as well as honoring her own. She moves through stories and memories, revisiting past moments recalled during the time of her mother’s death.The stories and memories included, range from romantic, to eerie and all are interwoven together to make a cohesive narrative, tackling and exploring themes of death and mourning from a very personal perspective; allowing readers to truly and intimately understand what it is to lose a loved one. The book begins with a white cloth, given to the protagonist on the day of her mother’s death and throughout, she continues to reflect upon white in various contexts. The White Book is a call to remember, process and celebrate life.The story is told with a deep sense of compassion. The narrator’s experience weaves together with the insights of her late mother and the characters she has encountered over the years. Confronting and surrendering to the grief of loss, and a changing relationship to memory. The White Book is a beautiful meditation on the complexity of grief, and the way it serves to shape, motivate and offer solace for ourselves and for those close to us.