The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly: A Novel

An Amazon Best Book of the Month, November 2013: You could read the adventures and struggles of Sprout, an egg-laying hen who escapes the coop with dreams of hatching her own chick, as a straightforward children’s book. But just like all enduring classics, peel back a few layers and The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly easily transcends the just-for-kids label by deftly tackling universal themes of individuality, nurturing the young, the cycle of life and death, the meaning of friendship, and the eternal parent-child bond. This English-language translation of the best-selling Korean novel is sparse and economical as befitting the fable-like tale, allowing phrases and moments to breathe with emotion. You’ll root for Sprout as she pluckily faces the elite barnyard coterie for a place to rest her head or as she tirelessly guards her baby from a hungry, conniving weasel. Anyone who is a parent--or has ever been loved by one--will find a moment (or two) where it’s hard to keep the tears at bay. -- Bora McAteer From Publishers Weekly The road of life is paved with hardships, even tragedy. Fate is implacable; we all must die. Yet it's possible to achieve happiness, and to make a positive contribution to humanity, if one perseveres. This is the lesson of this simply told but absorbing fable, a two million–copy bestseller in South Korea, and a story that will appeal to readers of self-help. The protagonist is a philosophically restless hen who yearns to raise a chick, but her eggs are collected daily by the farmer's wife. The hen encapsulates her longing in the name Sprout, which she gives to herself, signifying the fecundity of nature. Determined €œto do something with her life,€x9d Sprout escapes from her cage into the barnyard, but she's shunned by all its denizens except another outsider like herself, a mallard duck called Straggler. His lifesaving friendship enables Sprout to achieve one of her dreams: she hatches an egg she discovers in a briar patch, at first unaware that her offspring is not a chick, but a duckling. The book explores the joys of parenthood and the sacrifices required to nurture the next generation, the healing bonds of friendship, and the tug-of-war between nature and nurture. Spare but evocative line drawings by the Japanese artist Nomoco add to the subtle charm of this slim volume. B&w illus. (Nov.) From Booklist This novella, translated from Korean, explores ideals of compassion, individuality, sacrifice, and motherhood—all through a crew of barnyard animals. Confined to laying eggs in the chicken coop, scraggly hen Sprout has but a single dream: to hatch her own chick. When she’s culled from the coop, Sprout narrowly escapes a weasel’s clutches, thanks to Straggler, the misfit mallard duck. Soon Sprout discovers an abandoned egg in a briar patch, and contentedly settles on top of it, her dreams finally realized. Straggler brings fish to the nest and keeps the roaming weasel at bay, eventually forfeiting his life for the sake of the soon-to-be hatchling. It’s survival of the fittest, barnyard-style, with a plucky, fiercely protective hen at the helm. The fable, which has sold more than two million copies in Korea, is in Kim’s able hands; the English translation moves smoothly and straightforwardly and is aided by graceful black-and-white illustrations by Japanese artist Nomoco. Recalling Jonathan Livingston Seagull (1970), this slim but powerful tale will resonate with readers of all ages, who can take it at face value or delve deeper into its meditations on living courageously and facing mortality. --Ann Kelley Los Angeles Times bestseller New Atlantic Indie bestseller Mountains and Plains Indie bestseller Southern California Indie bestseller “A very special little book. I absolutely loved it, and I find myself still thinking about Sprout. She embodies all the best characteristics of deep-hearted mother-love: loyalty, sacrifice, and courage.” — Lisa See, author of the New York Times bestsellers Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, Peony in Love, and Shanghai Girls “Sometimes the simplest character, expressed in the sparest prose, embarks upon life’s most heroic journey. Meet Sprout, a plucky hen whose modest dream to hatch a single egg will take her down a path that leads to her true place in the natural world. Heart, determination, and empathy are the only skills Sprout needs to navigate this perilous passage in Sun-mi Hwang’s lovely The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly, a novel uniquely poised at the nexus of fable, philosophy, children’s literature, and nature writing.” — Adam Johnson, author of the New York Times bestseller and Pulitzer Prize winner The Orphan Master’s Son and the National Book Award winner Fortune Smiles “ The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly breaks down the boundaries between the animal and the human and takes us onxa0the intensely personal journey of a lonely hen whose simple, fierce desires guide her to surprising places. This entertaining and plaintive tale is South Korea’s Charlotte’s Web for youth and adults alike.” — Krys Lee, author of Drifting House “Everything wonderful about the world is contained in this small gem of a novel, which brims with dream-fulfilling adventures and the longing that underlies love.” — Kyung-sook Shin, author of the New York Times bestseller Please Look After Mom “It has the plain language of a folktale but also its power of dark suggestion.” — NPR.org, “The Best Books Coming Out This Week” “Bewitching . . . a fabular bestseller told from the point of view of a homeless hen, which will make grown men and women cry.” — The Independent, “Books of the Year” “A note-perfect masterstroke of a novella . . . that belongs on a bookshelf somewhere between the innocent frivolity of Charlotte’s Web and subliminal politics of Animal Farm . . . Sublime.” — Toronto Star “Beautifully and simply written . . . Sprout [is] one of the most likable protagonists of the year. With her defiance of the rules, curiosity and tireless efforts, Sprout stays with and inspires the reader long after the slim story is finished.” — Bookreporter “Perfect to read in a single sitting, although the story’s loving spirit is sure to linger. It’s also the ideal gift to share with anyone and everyone who holds a place in your heart.” — BookDragon “An allegorical crossover hit.” — The Bookseller, “Books of the Year” “Poignant . . . Themes of love, sacrifice, parenthood and belonging are explored through the simple but moving story.” — Audrey Magazine “[A] simply told but absorbing fable . . . Spare but evocative line drawings . . . add to the subtle charm.” — Publishers Weekly “An adroit allegory about life . . . in the vein of classics like Charlotte’s Web and Jonathan Livingston Seagull . . . A subtle morality tale that will appeal to readers of all ages.” —Kirkus Reviews “Recalling Jonathan Livingston Seagull (1970), this slim but powerful tale will resonate with readers of all ages, who can take it at face value or delve deeper into its meditations on living courageously and facing mortality. . . . The English translation moves smoothly and straightforwardly and is aided by graceful black-and-white illustrations.” —Booklist Sun-mi Hwang is a beloved writer in South Korea, where she has won many awards and published more than forty books enjoyed by adults and children alike. Born in 1963, she was uanble to attend middle school due to poverty, but thanks to a teacher who gave her a key to a classroom, she could go to the school and read books whenever she wanted. She enrolled in high school by taking a certificate examination, and she graduated from the creative writing departments at Seoul Institute of the Arts and Gwangju University, and from the graduate school of Chung-Ang University. She lives in Seoul, South Korea. Upon its publication in 2000, The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly became an instant classic, remaining on bestseller lists for ten years and inspiring the highest-grossing animated film in Korean history. It has also been adapted into a comic book, a play, and a musical, and has been translated into over a dozen languages. Read more