“The book is 148 pages of exquisite, subtly interwoven narratives—a brief, evocative volume perfect for sinking into on a plane ride or a gray winter day. Sometimes I’ll read and love a book but over time its images slip away; those of The Hive and the Honey lodged fast and remain as vivid as those in a dream.”

“In a quietly powerful short-story collection, Paul Yoon creates a kaleidoscopic portrait of the Korean diaspora. In these stories, one of which appeared in the magazine, Yoon’s characters struggle to find a place for themselves in a world where life can be capricious and harsh, but sometimes marked by grace.”

“Richly layered....Throughout the novel, beauty and violence coexist in a universe that seems by turns cruel and wondrous....Yoon has stitched an intense meditation on the devastating nature of war and displacement.”

“Despite his literary austerity, Yoon’s dazzling use of wordplay, pacing, and the quiet authenticity of his characters to instill emotion in his audience makes him one of the most evocative writers working today. Six little mysteries that quietly capture the breadth of the human experience.”

“Yoon’s debut novel began as a 500-page draft pared down to about 200 pages that reveal the same shimmering, evocative spareness of his 2009 collection, Once the Shore. The result is that rare, precious gem, with every remaining word to be cherished for the many discarded to achieve perfection. One of this year’s best reads.”

“So persuasive are Yoon’s powers of invention that I went searching for his Solla Island somewhere off the mainland of South Korea—not realizing that it exists only in this breathtaking collection of eight interlinked stories...Yoon’s writing results in a fully formed, deftly executed debut. The lost lives, while heartbreaking, prove illuminating in Yoon’s made-up world, so convincing and real. To read is truly to believe.”