Rice Paper Window
What readers
are saying
From a Buddhist abbot in Seoul to historians, writers, and readers around the world.
Featured Endorsement
“A beautiful fairy tale — a valuable book of wisdom for all who are interested in Korean culture.”
이 책은 금발머리 소녀 크리스탈이 한국 서울 용암사 절에서 머물며 연세대학교 어학당에서 한국어를 배우며 보왔던 아름다운 한 편의 동화 입니다. 1989년 그 해 여름은 무더위 만큼이나 뜨거웠던 민주화 시간 이였습니다. 그 시대 잘 알 수 있는 소중한 글 입니다. 한국에 유학 온 학생과 한국문화에 관심있는 해외 모든 사람들에게 귀중한 지혜의 글이 될 것 입니다. 이 책을 적극 추천 합니다.
This book is a beautiful fairy tale written by a golden-haired girl, Crystal (Christabel), during her time at Yongamsa Buddhist Temple in Seoul, where she was learning Korean at Yonsei University Language Institute. 1989 was a period when Korea was going through democratization as fervent as that year’s steaming hot summer. This writing helps us understand the era very well. It will be a valuable book of wisdom not only for those who come to Korea for Korean studies but also for the international community interested in Korean culture. I strongly recommend this book.
Dongguk University → Yongamsa Temple →
“It doesn’t just remind you of how things were — it reminds you how it felt.”
Scene after scene brought back moments I hadn’t thought about in decades. This isn’t nostalgia for its own sake.
“Into the enigmatic world of contradictions in Korea’s nascent democratization.”
She immerses us directly into her thoughts on the variety of experiences — between students and riot police, her Korean acquaintances, the secular and the profound.
“Really interesting and fun read.”
I learned a lot and remembered a bit about being 18! Highly recommended for young adults heading to Korea to study and tour.
“I will read it again… and again… and again.”
A deeply intimate and personal telling, rich in meaning — a glimpse into a world I could not have imagined otherwise.
“Nostalgic for a place and time I’ve never been.”
It reminds me of the hunger I had in my youth for new experiences, damn the discomfort. Christabel said “yes” to everything.
“Charming, upbeat, and fascinating.”
Her voice is both poetic and warmly unpretentious — a keen eye for all aspects of Korean culture and everyday life.
“Each vignette is a gem.”
I’m loving it… It’s beautifully written and each vignette is a gem.
“Beautifully written coming of age tale.”
I learned about Korean culture, history and being the other through the eyes of a young woman. Personal tales combine with the backdrop of major changes in South Korea.
“A deeply intimate and personal telling, rich in meaning.”
Beautifully written. Rich in cultural detail and human warmth — a book that stays with you.
“문화의 다리 — A cultural bridge”
Paper Angel Press에서 출판된 이 잊을 수 없는 회상록은 성년이 되는 감수성이 예민한 젊은 여인과 수십년간의 식민지 생활, 전쟁 그리고 독재 체재로부터 평화, 민주주의 그리고 번영으로 가기 위해 투쟁하는 나라의 초상화를 잇는 문화의 다리다.
This unforgettable memoir is a cultural bridge — connecting the portrait of a young woman coming of age with a nation struggling toward peace, democracy, and prosperity after decades of colonization, war, and dictatorship.
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