This month the Auburn Afternoon Book Group will read and discuss Beasts of a Little Land by Juhea Kim.

"In 1917, deep in the snowy mountains of occupied Korea, an impoverished local hunter on the brink of starvation saves a young Japanese officer from an attacking tiger. In an instant, their fates are connected, and from this encounter unfolds a saga that spans half a century. In the aftermath, a young girl named Jade is sold by her family to Miss Silver's courtesan school, an act of desperation that will cement her place in the lowest social status. When she befriends an orphan boy named JungHo, who scrapes together a living begging on the streets of Seoul, they form a deep friendship. As they come of age, JungHo is swept up in the revolutionary fight for independence, and Jade becomes a sought-after performer with a new romantic prospect of noble birth. Soon Jade must decide whether she will risk everything for the one who would do the same for her. From the perfumed chambers of a courtesan school in Pyongyang to the glamorous cafes of a modernizing Seoul and the boreal forests of Manchuria, where battles rage, Juhea Kim's unforgettable characters forge their destinies as they wager their nation's. Immersive and elegant, the story unveils a world where friends become enemies, enemies become saviors, heroes are persecuted, and beasts take many shapes."

The Auburn Afternoon Book Group primarily reads contemporary fiction but will occasionally include memoirs, classics and narrative nonfiction.

Free and open to the public. Space is limited. Registration is required. To register click the button below or contact the library for assistance. Copies of the book will be available to pick up at the Circulation Desk of the Auburn Branch Library.

Visit cranstonlibrary.org/book-groups to learn about other CPL book groups.