Stone Angels

"Sharp, witty and intrepid in spite of herself, Rho’s Angelina Lee is a daring character I would follow anywhere. From Seoul to Gwangju and Jejudo, Lee’s search for the truth of her mother’s life, and that of her mother’s sister, kept me cheering her on and turning the pages. This is not a story with easy answers. In riveting prose, Rho doesn’t shy away from the devastating truths about the consequences of war and subjugation, the ways we protect ourselves from what we can’t be protected from in order to survive. An unforgettable story about mothers, daughters, and sisters reaching inward for solace and strength when society has failed them, ultimately triumphant in love."

"At turns lyrical and raw, Stone Angels is a haunting novel that will stay with the reader long past the final page, perfect for fans of Min Jin Lee’s Pachinko or Jing-Jing Lee’s How We Disappeared."

"Written with great compassion and insight, Stone Angels by Helena Rho is many things: love story, family drama, and even an illumination of a dark stain from World War II . . . At its heart are two women, separated by time, distance, history, and war, yet brought together by strength of spirit and the enduring connections of family and culture. Stone Angels is a hopeful and healing reminder that to be alive is to go searching for love."

"Irresistible . . . Helena Rho gives me what I want from fiction: compassion, provocation, and characters I care about as much a she does. She understands that every story is many stories, and she handles the complex tales of violence, grief, and dire family secrets with intelligence, grace, and courage. You’re not going to read many novels as powerful, honest, and authentic as this one."

“Every now and then a first novel appears that enlarges and focuses your vista on the world. Helena Rho’s Stone Angels also recalibrates what you know of daughters and mothers, sisters and aunts. In its fertile understanding of what deliverance means for lives cloaked in secrecy and shame, this book gets in between your ribs. Getting it out won’t be possible. And you won’t want it to be.”

“Helena Rho has crafted a finely wrought, poignant story about searching—for family, history, truth, and a deeper understanding of the self. Deftly weaving between the past and present to reveal the legacy of war, Rho asks us to consider the depravity and beauty of humanity. Ultimately, Stone Angels shows us the redemptive power of love. A profound and compassionate story that will move the reader’s heart and mind.”

“Stirring, courageous, and propulsive, Helena Rho’s Stone Angels features the voices and stories of three unforgettable Korean women, all survivors in their own right. A meticulously researched and powerful account of the depths of human suffering, as well as resilience and healing in the wake of unspeakable violence, Stone Angels is full of heart and soul.”