In her deeply moving memoir, Obligations and Aspirations: A Memoir of Growing Up in Korea and an Unexpected New Life in Canada, author Kim Jai Sook Martin invites readers on an unforgettable journey through war, displacement, perseverance, and spiritual awakening. Born in 1935 during the Japanese occupation of Korea, Martin’s story captures both the pain of a nation in turmoil and the quiet triumph of a woman determined to define her own destiny.
From her earliest years, Kim Jai Sook Martin displayed an independent spirit that refused to bend to oppression. At just six years old, she was denied entry to school after refusing to bow to the Japanese flag — an act of youthful defiance that foreshadowed a lifelong commitment to integrity and truth. Born the second daughter to parents who had hoped for a son, she was dressed as a boy until her brother arrived — an early sign of how gender and expectation would shape, but never define, her life.
Throughout Obligations and Aspirations, Martin recounts the dramatic shifts of Korea’s history: the struggles of Japanese subjugation, the devastation of two wars, and the challenges of rebuilding amid chaos. Yet her memoir is not only about survival — it is a profound reflection on duty, faith, and identity. Caught between filial loyalty and personal freedom, she learns that the obligations imposed by society and family can coexist with the aspirations of the human heart.
Driven by her dream to become a teacher, Kim Jai Sook Martin made the bold decision to leave Korea behind and start anew in Canada. There, she discovered not only opportunity but also the loneliness and beauty of beginning again in a foreign land. Her father’s timeless words — “Be fair, be kind, and never forget who you are” — became the guiding principles that shaped her life abroad and her relationships with others.
Through richly detailed memories and heartfelt reflection, Obligations and Aspirations paints an intimate portrait of resilience, sacrifice, and grace. It is a story that speaks to immigrants, dreamers, and anyone who has ever wrestled with the balance between tradition and transformation.
Kim Jai Sook Martin’s memoir is more than a personal story — it is a universal testament to the power of courage, faith, and hope. Her life reminds us that even in times of great adversity, the human spirit can endure, adapt, and flourish.
Readers will be inspired by her unwavering determination and touched by her journey of faith — a story that begins in the heart of Korea and finds fulfillment in the promise of a new world.
Obligations and Aspirations: A Memoir of Growing Up in Korea and an Unexpected New Life in Canada is now available
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