On a cold morning in 1950, Young Bok stood on a deserted road with a pouch of paper money warm against his chest, watching his entire family make their way north...back towards their hometown. Would he ever see them again? Was he making the right choice in leaving his family to flee south?

Oil Paper Family, Melanie Kim's debut book, tells the true story of Young Bok, the author's grandfather. It is the gripping narrative of a farm boy who lived through decades of oppressive rule in North Korea under three different regimes and who, at the age of 21, made a desperate flight south seeking freedom during the Korean War. Oil Paper Family explores the broader history of this turbulent time in Korea's past through Young Bok's eyes, shaped by his love for his family and his dreams of becoming a doctor.

Melanie Kim's Oil Paper Family is ultimately a testament to human resilience, to the power of love and family, guilt and survival, sorrow and growth.