I feel really privileged to have gotten the opportunity to do today's interview. Award winning illustrator/author Robin Ha joined me on the show to talk about her new queer YA graphic novel set in 16th century Korea injected with a bit of fantasy, The Fox Maidens, being released by Balzer and Bray/Harper Collins. Robin's other work has been very personal, exploring her own experiences as a teenage Korean immigrant in Almost American Girl and diving into familiar Korean cuisine with Cook Korean: A Comic Book With Recipes. The Fox Maidens is equally personal but examines not just her own experiences but those historically of Korean women and the generational trauma caused by the patriarchal and class dominated structures in place throughout its history.

A young girl Kai Song has dreams of breaking down cultural norms in 16th-century Korea by following in her father’s footsteps and becoming a great martial artist. Her father tracked down and killed Gumiho, the nine-tailed fox demon, for the magistrate gaining prestige and status for the family, but there’s a lingering rumor about a familial connection to the creature. As Kai struggles with accepting her role as a woman in the male and class dominated societal structure, she must come to grips with and deal with the secrets of her family’s past as it is wrapped up in her own destiny and identity. 

This book hit me hard y'all. I loved it. I hope you enjoy the interview. It will be available everywhere February 13th.

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