HOW LONG, O LORD? reflects the ongoing prayers of Korean people for freedom and justice as they undergo the oppressions of the twentieth century. A combination of historical fiction and autobiography, this collection tells history as stories about peasants, industrial workers, and ordinary citizens who endured and reacted to Japanese imperialism, foreign occupation, division of the country, war and cruelty of military dictators.
Father and Son, spanning the years from 1919 to the mid-1970´s, is a story of two generations of peasants who fought for dignity and justice but get caught in the struggles of greater world forces. The next three stories focus on the courage of South Korean industrial workers who, by refusing to be submissive to those in power, have moved Korea in the direction of democracy and human rights.
Prayer for the Innocents, My Body, and Tearoom tell of the torture and execution of eight men falsely accused of being part of a conspiracy to overthrow South Korea´s military dictatorship. Because he offered public prayers for these men, the author was deported from Korea in 1974.
The last story was inspired by the author´s interviews with North Korean refugees in Russia. Escape into Bondage tells of two men who cannot return home. They become "brothers" as their lives are joined in a perilous odyssey in Russia where they have no legal status. One finds haven in South Korea. Through his experiences and interactions with his new friends, we gain insight into the complexities facing those who struggle for peace and reunification of Korea.
