White Pearl and I: A Memoir of a Political Refugee

Storytelling is one of White Pearl's forte. She keeps from her life - and what a life! - only the details that would serve the passionate feelings and the sense of values of the "great story" itself, showing that, when you know how to use them intelligently, obstacles can give you momentum, open doors you did not even notice, and make the "story" much more beautiful. Her grand-daughter, Svetlana never got enough of White Pearl's words. She had to find a way to be worthy of her hardworking, numerous misfortunes overcoming, magnificent lineage. With such a responsive child, White Pearl only had to feed the dream until it had matured enough. And Svetlana was just 23 years old when she decided to give wings to her life. She built her own golden ladder to success, with steps so spaced apart, most of us would not even have tried to reach the first one. But like by magic, the spaces were filled with popping up helping people that, combined with her indestructible self-confidence, her innate sense of hard work, and her welcoming joviality, allowed her to attain a series of objectives in a few years only, while it would have taken us a lifetime to accomplish one of them. Now, she is on a mission: it is her holy duty to add her own words, her own adventures to the compelling White Pearl's story, thanking by the way all the generous people who helped her, and paying tribute to her grand-mother's resilience, steadiness, optimism and love for life: the vibrant inspiration for her own daring choices. So, once upon a time, a young Russian from Korean descent arrived from Leningrad to New-York. She did not speak English, had only one dollar in her pocket and the strong will to become a successful American business woman ... ... A true story to be read with your childhood eyes. You will not be disappointed.

Thanks to Svetlana Kim for speaking her hearth so openly. Her account is a vivid demonstration of the tremendous power there is in fearlessly accepting to live one's dreams. When Svetlana moved to the USA, she did not speak the language, had no money, no job and no family or friends to welcome her. She is now a very successful businesswoman, and a proud American citizen; all that without compromising her moral values, and remaining always grateful and open minded. A must read!

A captivating and moving book that sheds light on the lives of Soviet Koreans and their brutal deportation to Central Asia by Stalin. An inspiring story of a young Russian-Korean woman who arrived in the United States without knowing the English language and only with $1 in her pocket. A gripping page-turner that portrays one woman's sense of survival as she masterfully turns a series of misfortunes into opportunity. Her wit, perseverance, faith and high moral standards lead her to success in all her pursuits. But behind all her determination and desire to succeed is a loving heart and great character that attracts all who encountered her. Values that were passed down to Lana by her family, especially paternal grandmother, guided her path. A must read!

I've been reading this book over the last few days and I am definitely enjoying it. My grandparents immigrated from Slovenia to the US after WWI, poor certainly, but of Europian stock and so much different from someone of Korean ancestry, or so I thought. However, I find it fascinating that I have so much in common with Svetlana. My paternal grandmother did many of the same things as hers did to make ends meet, in particular the gardening. I love to garden myself and that delight was passed down to me through my grandmother and my father. Of course, many of the same or similiar foods that were part of what I grew up eating, too. I recognized about 90% of those mentioned. I find the entire story facinating. What a fantastic tale of hope and fortitude winning out!

After reading White Pearl and I, a vision a door open for Svetlana Kim's new life adventure with a loaf of bread that didn't even exist. You can call it coincidence, destiny, fate, kismet-in one moment, lives can collide and change forever. Yet, Svetlana Kim masterfully wrote to us that chance encounters aren't necessarily accidental; in fact, you can make your own luck by opening yourself to the world. When it comes to life's unpredictability, Svetlana Kim taught us in her book to always open our self to whatever might be around the corner. Her grandmother's life and wisdom had sprinkles through her like a fairy dust which gave birth to such an inspiring memoir filled with fascinated journeys focus on chance encounters, in which she reveals how unexpected moments that can surprises us, enlighten us, even change our lives, are just a hop, skip, and coincidence away. Svetlana Kim's memoir highlights the essence of how life is full of unexpected twists, and it is up to us to decide if we want to be in for more or not. Her book opens our eyes to see that every day brings new opportunities, new invitations to see what the universe has in store for us. White Pearl and I had encouraged me to open myself to whatever undiscovered joys may be out there waiting, and to be ready for life-altering moments when they arrive.