The Forest of Stolen Girls

Five years earlier, Hwani and her sister Maewol went missing in the forest and were later found unconscious next to the body of a young woman. Since then, thirteen girls have gone missing from the village near the forest which has now come to be known as The Forest of Stolen Girls. Hwani’s father, a well-known detective, thinks there is a connection between the missing girls and the incident involving his daughters. He returns to the forest to solve the crime only to go missing himself. Hwani, defying tradition, returns to find her father, solve the mystery and reunite with her sister, who stayed behind all those years ago. Hwani will discover that evil doesn’t always look like you expect.

This was a fascinating look into 1426 Korean history. The glimpse into village life during the Ming dynasty was very well done by the author. I had never heard of tribute girls before and it’s always fun to learn something new even while reading a fictional story. If you enjoy stories about strong women, sisterly bonds, and the things that fathers will do to protect their daughters, or historical fiction, then I highly recommend you read this book.