A death, a lie, a secret. For twenty-six summers he didn't have the
courage to face the past.
Lee Hanjo is an artist at the peak of his fame, envied and celebrated.
Then, on his forty-third birthday, he awakens to find that his devoted
wife has disappeared, leaving behind a soon-to-be-published novel she'd
secretly written about the sordid past and questionable morality of an
artist with a trajectory similar to Hanjo's. It's clear to him that his
life is about to shatter and the demons from his past will come out. But
why did his wife do it? Why now?
The book forces Hanjo to reflect on a summer from his youth when a
deadly lie irreversibly and tragically determined the fates of two
families.
From master storyteller J. M. Lee, one of Korea's most renowned authors,
comes an unforgettable novel of hidden truths, denials, and their
inevitable repercussions. Everyone still left standing from that
terrible summer so long ago must finally reckon with the deceptions that
started it all and, twist after shocking twist, reap both the suffering
and the vindication that comes with revenge.