Daily Terrible Haiku

"The Ginseng Hunter",
A poignant tale of love and loss,
and of choices made.

Author Jeff Talarigo

After freeing yourself from the distraction of another terrible haiku, (oh the horror of abstract nouns!) drop everything and go read this book. I mean it.

This was my first time reading a work of the talented Jeff Talarigo and I must say "The Ginseng Hunter" blew me way. The spare prose of this novel only added to the beauty and pain of the plot and the settings and the characters...pretty much everything was amazing. The closest I can describe this writing is that it's like a fine painting. If, no, when you read this, you'll know exactly what I mean. Yes, I am gushing, but deservedly so. As a note of interest, the main characters in this book are nameless, never revealed to us readers, and in Talarigo's own words, it was his way of simplifying a complex story. Is it possible for a complex story to be simple? If so, he has definitively done it. There were many themes and emotions apparent, with overlying political plots over personal ethical conflicts, and yet, each of these were made crystal clear. Cue the applause. The research that has gone into this book is apparent with the details and clarity of every scene. Truly provides us with a haunting peephole into the world of the North Korean conflict. 5/5

Book Description



Set at the turn of the twenty-first century in China along the Tumen River, which separates northeast China and North Korea, The Ginseng Hunter is an unforgettable portrait of life along a fragile border.


A Chinese ginseng hunter lives alone in the valley and spends his days up in the mountains looking for ginseng and preparing for winter. He is scarcely aware of the larger world until shadowy figures hiding in the fields, bodies floating in the river, and rumors of thievery and murder begin to intrude on his cherished solitude. On one of his monthly trips to Yanji, where he buys supplies and visits a brothel, he meets a young North Korean prostitute. Through her vivid tales, the tragedy occurring across the river unfolds, and over the course of the year the hunter unnervingly discovers that the fates of the young woman and four others rest in his hands.

Spare, intimate, and strikingly atmospheric, The Ginseng Hunter takes us into the little-understood lives of North Koreans and confirms Jeff Talarigo's immense gift for storytelling.

The Ginseng Hunter is based on actual events that are happening today in North Korea, also known as the DPRK, and along the Northeast border of China, to where many North Korean refugees flee. 

In response to this humanitarian crisis, Liberty in North Korea, or LiNK, an international NGO, maintains programs in refugee protection and resettlement, leadership development for North Korean defectors, advocacy to stakeholders in the North Korean crisis, and the empowerment of citizens to make a difference with effective action. To learn more, please visit www.LiNKglobal.org .