The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly by Sun-Mi Hwang trans. Chi-Young Kim

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a hen? To lay eggs day after day, knowing you would never get to hatch a chick? Sun-Mi Hwang depicts the end of the life of a hen in this story about freedom, love, and destiny.

Sprout is a caged hen until the time when she stops laying eggs. Past her prime, she is thrown out like a piece of garbage by the farmer and his wife. But something miraculous happens--against all odds, and with a little help from an outcast duck, she survives. Without a place in the barnyard, she has to figure out what to do out in the real world and learn how to survive independently. Freedom for her is both a blessing and a curse.

Along the path to her (predictable) death, she accomplishes her dreams, raises an orphaned duckling, and stands up to a vicious weasel. She learns about both the joys and sorrows of love. And she learns more about who she is as a result.

This was a surprisingly deep work. On the one hand, it was very simple--it laid out Sprout's life in very certain, plain terms. On the other hand, the book imparts to you some very meaningful wisdom--freedom brings responsibility, love is both joy and pain, and destiny--well, destiny is sometimes the most powerful force of all.

~7/10~