CANR
WORK TITLE: Everything Belongs to Us
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE: 1980
WEBSITE: http://yoojingracewuertz.com/
CITY: Oradell
STATE: NJ
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY:
LAST VOLUME:
https://www.intelius.com/people/Robert-Wuertz/Oradell-NJ/06zkj3w47d3
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born 1980, in Seoul, South Korea; immigrated to United States, c. 1986; married; children: one son.
EDUCATION:Yale University, B.A.; New York University, M.F.A.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Yoojin Grace Wuertz was born in South Korea and immigrated to the United States at the age of six. Her debut novel, Everything Belongs to Us, is set in her birth country in the late 1970s. In an interview with Andrea Arnold on the Electric Lit Web site, Wuertz explained that the genesis of the novel was not her own experience but that of her parents: “My parents were college students in Seoul in the 1970s and I became fascinated with the stories my dad would tell me about that period. It was a very dynamic, volatile time because the economy was growing at an unprecedented rate under a repressive and authoritarian government. Park Chung Hee was President, and I chose to set the novel in 1978 because many factions in the country— student and labor activists particularly—were rising up in dissent during that time.”
The novel features four students at Seoul National University: Jisun, Namin, Sunam, and Juno. Jisun and Namin were childhood best friends from disparate socioeconomic backgrounds: Jisun is the daughter of a wealthy businessman, while Namin is from a poor family. At the university, Jisun and Namin meet and become entangled with two young men, Sunam and Juno. While the four students struggle with romance troubles and family drama, the country as a whole is undergoing massive upheaval—beset by student protests, political corruption, and economic transformation. Each character faces difficult choices as personal issues are engulfed by larger societal forces.
Critics greeted Everything Belongs to Us warmly. Calling the novel “memorable,” a reviewer in Publishers Weekly noted that “Wuertz crafts a story with delicious
scenes and plot threads.” Similarly, a Kirkus Reviews contributor lauded the “rich character portraits and a strong political heartbeat” and concluded that “Wuertz is an important new voice in American fiction.” “Deep, thoughtful characterizations drive the slow-burning plot,” remarked Jaclyn Fulwood on the Shelf Awareness Web site. Fulwood added: “Wuertz’s investment in exploring every angle of Jisun and Namin’s inner lives pays off in an emotionally rich and resonant final act.” Finally, Terry Hong, reviewing the novel in Booklist, called it “an absorbing debut destined for” book awards and acclaim.
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, November 1, 2016, Terry Hong, review of Everything Belongs to Us, p. 25.
Kirkus Reviews, October 15, 2016, review of Everything Belongs to Us.
Publishers Weekly, December 19, 2016, review of Everything Belongs to Us, p. 94.
ONLINE
Electric Lit, https://electricliterature.com/ (February 28, 2017), Andrea Arnold, “Yoojin Grace Wuertz Takes On a Turbulent Moment in South Korean History,” author interview.
Novel Visits, http://www.novelvisits.com (February 28, 2017), review of Everything Belongs to Us.
Shelf Awareness, http://www.shelf-awareness.com (March 10, 2017), Jaclyn Fulwood, review of Everything Belongs to Us.
Yoojin Grace Wuertz Home Page, http://yoojingracewuertz.com (March 30, 2017).*
BIO
Yoojin Grace Wuertz author photoYoojin Grace Wuertz was born in Seoul, South Korea, and immigrated to the United States at age six. She holds a BA in English from Yale University and an MFA in fiction from New York University. She lives in northern New Jersey with her husband and son.
Photo by Nina Subin.
Yoojin Grace Wuertz: EVERYTHING
BELONGS TO US
Kirkus Reviews.
(Oct. 15, 2016):
COPYRIGHT 2016 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Yoojin Grace Wuertz EVERYTHING BELONGS TO US Random House (Adult Fiction) 27.00 ISBN: 97808129
98542
An ambitious debut about power and family in South Korea with rich character portraits and a strong political
heartbeat.In her first novel, Wuertz traces the ambitions of four loosely connected students attending Seoul National
University in 1978. There’;s Jisun, a revolutionary at heart fighting for autonomy from her wealthy and
influential father; Namin, a poor scholarship student struggling to bury her family’;s past and lift them out of
poverty; Sunam, a striver caught between the different futures these young women offer him; and Juno, an ingratiating
social climber only interested in his own advancement. It’;s no accident that the book opens—;and
closes—;amid the clamor of protest, from striking textile workers roughed into police vans to a smoke bomb
planted during a college graduation ceremony. Wuertz investigates a national crisis surrounding worker exploitation
and upward mobility, the complicity of the rich, and the stifling indecision of the middle class. With deep sympathy
and psychological insight, she demonstrates how a corrupt political regime bankrupts—;literally and
figuratively—;the choices of her characters, pushing them to moral extremes. Namin is forced to choose
between caretaking for her beloved disabled brother and raising her sister’;s illegitimate son, while Sunam
struggles with a bribe of unimaginable magnitude. Even spirited Jisun must negotiate for her freedom. To outsmart her
controlling father, she chooses to give away her fortune to the legal funds of protesters. At the bank, she’;s left
with “;an eerie feeling like stealing from a ghost, a fictional character with her name and identification
number.”; Jisun isn’;t the only ghost walking in the pages of this book, which collects and mourns the
forgotten, downtrodden souls these four must rescue or leap over in their race to the top. Wuertz’;s book
blooms in unexpected ways, eschewing a straightforward plot for more meandering paths. While the framework of the
novel isn’;t always tidy, the book is no less a significant representation of the politics of postwar hope and
despair. Engrossing. Wuertz is an important new voice in American fiction.
Source Citation (MLA 8
th Edition)
"Yoojin Grace Wuertz: EVERYTHING BELONGS TO US." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Oct. 2016. General OneFile,
go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA466551453&it=r&asid=68af8ac7b30e8b1fbcf57a9bcc8a5b0a.
Accessed 10 Mar. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A466551453
3/10/2017 General OneFile Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1489170061728 2/3
Everything Belongs to Us
Publishers Weekly.
263.52 (Dec. 19, 2016): p94.
COPYRIGHT 2016 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Everything Belongs to Us
Yoojin Grace Wuertz. Random House, $27 (368p) ISBN 9780812998542
Wuertz's memorable debut takes place in 1978 Seoul and follows four university studentstwo boys, two girlsas they
work and fumble their way through a school year of camaraderie and betrayal. The girlsNamin, a serious student seen
as her poor family's one hope at financial success, and Jisun, her wealthy childhood pal bent on becoming a labor
activistfind their friendship in flux as they begin drifting down separate paths toward adulthood. Their story lines
bring them in contact with Sunam, a charming student struggling to find his spot on the social ladder, and Juno, a more
experienced boy sponsoring Sunam as a pledge to the university social club, the Circle. Juno desires Jisun, who
eschews his interest, and Sunam and Namin become a romantic item after meeting at a party held by the Circle. But it
isn't long before Namin's studies and family lifean American GI impregnates her older sisterpulls her away from
Sunam's affection, and he begins spending more time with the seductive Jisun. Wuertz crafts a story with delicious
scenes and plot threads, perceptively showing the push and pull of relationships in a strictly mannered society. (Feb.)
Source Citation (MLA 8
th Edition)
"Everything Belongs to Us." Publishers Weekly, 19 Dec. 2016, p. 94. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA475324261&it=r&asid=a93083fc401651c2f91883cb739cf025.
Accessed 10 Mar. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A475324261
3/10/2017 General OneFile Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1489170061728 3/3
Everything Belongs to Us
Terry Hong
Booklist.
113.5 (Nov. 1, 2016): p25.
COPYRIGHT 2016 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist_publications/booklist/booklist.cfm
Full Text:
Everything Belongs to Us. By Yoojin Grace Wuertz. Feb. 2017. 368p. Random, $27 (9780812998542).
As explosive growth transforms 1970s South Korea into an international powerhouse, sociopolitical upheaval becomes
unavoidable in daily life. Into the maelstrom of such spectacular change, firstnovelist WuertzSeoulborn, U.S.raised,
Yale and NYUdegreeddrops two women onto the elite campus of Seoul National University. Jisun is there by
birthright as the daughter of a wealthy, powerful businessman, but she eschews her privilege to live with factory
workers, join demonstrations, get arrested, and aid underground organizations. In contrast, Namin has outperformed
everyone to gain entry; her singular goal of becoming a medical doctor equals her family's escape from poverty. The
girls' childhood bestfriendship falters as each twentysomething faces complex crises against the backdrop of a nationintheremaking.
Wuertz assuredly bears witness to the tumult of her birth country: clashes with U.S. occupiers, the
widening divide between haves and havenots, the dismantling of traditional family structures, the impending end of a
dictatorship, and the possibilities of a future when everything might belong to a generation not fully prepared for the
challenges to come. An absorbing debut destined for major lists and nominations.Terry Hong
Source Citation (MLA 8
th Edition)
Hong, Terry. "Everything Belongs to Us." Booklist, 1 Nov. 2016, p. 25+. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA471142792&it=r&asid=b94af14b3a5dc6dc9d846d838a3b8551.
Accessed 10 Mar. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A471142792
FEBRUARY 28, 2017
Everything Belongs to Us by Yoojin Grace Wuertz | Review
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Everything Belongs to Us by Yoojin Grace Wuertz - This story follows three college students as their lives intersect in unexpected ways in 1978 Seoul, South Korea.
Everything Belongs to Us by Yoojin Grace Wuertz (debut)
Publisher: Random House
Release Date: February 28, 2017
Length: 368 pages
Buy on Amazon
Single Sentence Summary: Three South Korean university students from very different backgrounds find their lives intersecting in ways that will forever transform them.
Primary Characters: Jisun – The daughter of a very wealthy businessman. Jisun has had a privileged upbringing, but very much wants to be a social activist. Namin – The daughter of poor food cart operators. Namin’s role in her family is to be a great success and rescue them all. Sunam – Son of a controlling middle-class father. Sunam badly wants success, but doesn’t want to work too hard to achieve it.
Synopsis: In 1978, Seoul National University is the most prestigious college in the country. Attending is in itself an advantage, putting students among South Korea’s professional elite. That is exactly what Namin and Sunam want. Namin to pay her family back for all they’ve sacrificed for her education. Sunam simply craves even more wealth and prestige than his father achieved. Jisun, who always lived a life of privilege, is there because it’s required of her, but she’s more concerned with social activism. Jisun and Namin, unlikely friends since middle school, cling to a strained friendship that only grows more complicated when they both become involved with Sunam.
Review: Everything Belongs to Us by Yoojin Grace Wuertz is an impressive debut. It’s historical in nature, and culturally specific, yet feels like a story that could take place almost anywhere and at any time in the last 50 years. The heart of the story is a triangle, not exactly a love triangle, more of a friendship triangle. That’s a theme often resonating in coming-of-age stories and I think Wuertz did it beautifully here. Her placement of her characters in 1978 Seoul provided just the right backdrop for their story. It was a time in that country’s history when change was happening at a rapid rate. Social activism against Park’s harsh regime and the unifying of factory workers were both pieces of history that Jisun’s character brought to light. In all three characters, we saw the social stratification of South Korea at that time, and in Namin we learned just how difficult it was to overcome poverty.
Where Everything Belongs to Us fell down a little for me was in its uneven character development. I think Wuertz did a masterful job with the two women. Jisun was my favorite character because I understood and sympathized with her backstory. This was a girl who lost her mother at a young age and had been raised largely by a housekeeper. Even when not around, her father’s presence was always felt and his control over her life complete. Yet, Jisun wanted a different sort of life and found ways to get it. I admired her. I also admired Namin, but I didn’t really like her. Namin was definitely the character with the most to overcome. Her vision of where she was, where she needed to end up, and how to get there was laser focused. Namin had so many obstacles in her way and yet she always fought on. The filial aspects of her life were harder for me to connect with, but significant to the time and culture.
“Namin at the top of the pyramid with her books and exam scores and degrees, buffered from the worst of her family’s poverty by the expectation that one day her great success would rescue them all. Everyone knew their roles, and Namin for her part did not resent the burden of carrying her family’s future.”
Sunam, unlike the two women, was a mystery to me. There wasn’t enough of a backstory for me to understand him. Why did he crave success? Why was he so lazy about working for it? Why was he one to take the easy route? I never was sure if this was another cultural element or if this was just who the character was. I also think Sunam muddied the story of the relationship between Jisun and Namin. He played a pivotal role, but I think I might have enjoyed Jisun and Namin more without him. The book was written in seven sections and I found I enjoyed most those focused on the two heroines of Everything Belongs to Us. Grade: B-
Review: Everything Belongs to Us
Everything Belongs to Us by Yoojin Grace Wuertz (Random House, $27 hardcover, 368p., 9780812998542, February 28, 2017)
Less a debut and more an arrival, this arresting first novel from Yoojin Grace Wuertz brings to life a South Korea poised on the brink of transformation and the young people caught up in its turbulence.
Childhood friends Namin and Jisun have always managed to ignore their differences, or at least pretended to. As students at Seoul National University in the fading days of the 1970s, though, their friendship may finally fail to survive their divergent paths. Jisun lives in a mansion and stands to inherit her father's wildly lucrative shipping business. Her older brother founded The Circle, the most prestigious and exclusive society at SNU. However, these legacies mean little to Jisun, who rebels against her family by acting as a translator for American missionaries who secretly encourage factory workers to unionize, and by marching in workers' strikes.
Namin, her parents and her elder sister, Kyungmin, share a three-room house with no hot water or indoor plumbing in one of Seoul's poorest neighborhoods. Kyungmin works long hours in a factory, and their parents operate a dilapidated food cart to pay for Namin's education in hopes she will raise the family from poverty. All Namin wants is entry to The Circle, with its assurance of influential friends and a gateway to the success she needs to care for her mentally handicapped brother, who lives with her grandparents to remove some pressure from her immediate family. Though a mutual outsider status at the private girls' school Jisun and Namin both attended in childhood bonded the pair, their growing impatience with each other's differing views of the future damages their relationship. When Sunam, an average student caught up in the possibility of Circle membership, begins dating Namin, he inadvertently walks into a web of drama that could tear all their lives apart.
Inspired by stories of her parents' college days in South Korea, Wuertz evokes a time of change in a country with which most Westerners aren't very familiar. Despite the time gap, readers will easily draw parallels between the South Korean generation pictured here and today's millennials, both groups of young people set to inherit sink-or-swim social orders with huge gaps in wealth. Deep, thoughtful characterizations drive the slow-burning plot; Wuertz's investment in exploring every angle of Jisun and Namin's inner lives pays off in an emotionally rich and resonant final act. Powerful and absorbing, Everything Belongs to Us introduces a new and compelling voice. --Jaclyn Fulwood, blogger at Infinite Reads
Shelf Talker: Seldom explored in American fiction, South Korea comes to life in this debut following two college students, one rich and one poor, as their lifelong friendship struggles to its close.