The larger context of which these individual narratives intersect - the growing consumer culture of South Korea - informs the very nature of If I Had Your Face, and the book clearly demonstrates an author who knows her city. Cha’s depiction of these interconnected experiences is expressive and richly tinged with references to South Korean culture, society, and identity. The struggles of each woman are magnified in their interactions with one another. Then there is Ara, the hairdresser who is still dealing with the aftermath of an accident that has left her unable to speak downstairs is Wonna, who struggles with the idea of having a baby within the institutional structures that leave her unable to raise it. Another is Miho, who must confront the implications of her relationship with a wealthy chaebol heir. One is Kyuri, whose job at a room salon relies upon her acceptance of submission. And within society, the ways that we choose to covet reflect our own understanding of what is valuable and what is not.įrances Cha’s If I Had Your Face dissects this idea of coveting by focusing on the lives and desires of four women living in the same Seoul apartment complex. We learn to covet being beautiful and the privilege that is given to beautiful people. We learn to covet another’s face, another’s privilege. Throughout our lives, we learn how to covet.
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