Broken Summer

A Novel

By: J. M. Lee, An Seon Jae - translator

Narrated by: Greg Chun

A death, a lie, a secret. For twenty-six summers he didn’t have the courage to face the past.

Lee Hanjo is an artist at the peak of his fame, envied and celebrated. Then, on his forty-third birthday, he awakens to find that his devoted wife has disappeared, leaving behind a soon-to-be-published novel she’d secretly written about the sordid past and questionable morality of an artist with a trajectory similar to Hanjo’s. It’s clear to him that his life is about to shatter and the demons from his past will come out. But why did his wife do it? Why now?

The book forces Hanjo to reflect on a summer from his youth when a deadly lie irreversibly and tragically determined the fates of two families.

From master storyteller J. M. Lee, one of Korea’s most renowned authors, comes an unforgettable novel of hidden truths, denials, and their inevitable repercussions. Everyone still left standing from that terrible summer so long ago must finally reckon with the deceptions that started it all and, twist after shocking twist, reap both the suffering and the vindication that comes with revenge.

©2021 Jung Myung Lee. (P)2022 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved. Translation © 2022 by An Seon Jae.

Critic reviews

“The audio is narrated by Greg Chun, who maintains tension throughout the story's multiple twists and revelations. Mystery and suspense fans will be enthralled by this complex and gorgeously written tale, but readers of family drama and general fiction will also find much to love.”—Library Journal

“Skillfully rendered into English by translator An, the novel contemplates these issues in a murder mystery notable for its nuanced storytelling…A subtle psychological thriller.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Lee excels at psychological realism, and Hanjo’s quest to learn the truth feels naturally driven by deep, painful emotions…This exquisite portrait of minds torn apart by mourning will appeal not just to mystery readers.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

The book would have been shorter

Never red a book with this many metaphors before. Book probably would have been an hour shorter if there weren’t so many annoying metaphors.

A Surfeit of Metaphors

If I want to be kind, I could say that J.M. Lee’s “Broken Summer” suffers from the enthusiasm and creative proclivity of the translator.

Maybe that’s the reason I struggled through the novel, as metaphor followed metaphor. The plot was almost buried in them.

The story line - two brothers, two young girls, entwined love affairs, misunderstandings, a tragedy, a pregnancy, an older woman lusted after by a young boy, a car accident, a brilliant artist, a flowing river, a grand house on a hill. There’s plenty there, and perhaps had the novel been written in a lower more subtle key, I could have enjoyed it.

But it wasn’t. And I didn’t.

Brilliant writing style

It’s still not clear to me who killed Jang Jisoo…. Is it a case of repression of memory?

Hettie is a dangerous, dangerous woman - talk about playing the long game. But she is a victim of awful circumstances, and her resilience is amazing.

Lee Hanjo seems so clueless and self-absorbed….