Review: Love Beyond Measure by Katie Schell

Love Beyond Measure
written by Katie Schell
published by Katie Schell

find it here: (affiliate links) Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Book Depository, Goodreads

~ 10% of all proceeds from this book will be donated to drilling wells for fresh water in undeveloped countries in honor of Frank Crimbchin ~

 

Why did I pick this book: I am endlessly fascinated by the stories of people whose lives are so different from mine or anyone I know.

Did I enjoy this book: It’s probably more appropriate to say I was deeply moved by this book. It’s at times difficult to read making the word “enjoy” not 100% applicable.

Love Beyond Measure is a beautiful story of faith, love, and survival. It is written from three points of view during different phases of the book. It begins with Ock Soon Lee’s first person account of a tormented childhood as an orphaned peasant girl in rural, pre-war South Korea. It follows with a first person account of Frank Crimbchin, the American soldier who would eventually marry Ock Soon. Finally, we get a third person account of their relationship and the seemingly endless hurdles they overcome together in order to marry and move to America.

I found the changes in points of view a bit distracting and awkward; but not to the extent that the story loses its emotional impact. There is also an extended section of the story that is told through letters written from America to Korea and vice versa. This section failed to hold my interest throughout their ordeal.  I found myself skimming some letters to move the story along. (I should probably admit at this point that I have the attention span of a two year-old.)

Please note, this is no fairy tale “and they lived happily ever after” story. This family, like all families, wrestle with the aftermath of previous trauma and hardship. But ultimately, it is a story of faith, religious salvation, and truly a love beyond measure.

Would I recommend it:  I would.

Will I read it again: I will.

 

About the book – from Goodreads: Imagine being a seven year old orphaned girl given over to another family to be their slave. Imagine being alone in this world; unwanted and unloved by anyone. Imagine being a young woman when war breaks out in your city – Seoul. This is the true story of Ock Soon Lee (Pega Crimbchin), a Korean peasant who survived some of life’s most upspeakable suffering. The war had left her near starvation and sometimes even death. Somehow while hundreds around her were killed or died during their escape, Ock Soon Lee survived. It is the story of one woman’s courage and strength, hope and love that would carry her from life as a Korean peasant to that of an American citizen. Follow her journey and the miracles she encounters as she escapes communism. This is a book you will never forget. The memoirs are written by Ock Soon Lee’s daughter, Katie Schell.