Description

‘A brilliant, sweeping historical tale’ Irenosen Okojie MBE, author of Nudibranch

‘Paints a heartfelt tale of wartime Korean orphanages and shanty towns’ Yangsze Choo, New York Times-bestselling author of The Fox Wife

THE STUNNING HISTORICAL NOVEL FROM A REESE’S BOOK CLUB FELLOW

1950, Pyongyang. Oksoon’s father – confident that the war is over – has left for Seoul in search of opportunity. There is nothing to do but wait, until the Chinese army attacks and forces Oksoon, her mother and her brother to flee southward themselves. But the journey is dangerous, and wartime makes enemies of even the kindest of friends.

Meanwhile, Oksoon’s cousin Junho has found uncertain refuge in a struggling orphanage near the southern coast. When the orphanage director’s rich niece arrives, harbouring a secret, Junho must choose between his duty and his dreams if they are all to survive.

Full of heart and rich in history, Song for Another Home is an unforgettable portrait of resilience, courage, friendship and love that endures.

What readers are saying:

‘Put this on your TBR list! 5 golden stars for me’

‘Highly recommended … as emotionally rich as it is historically illuminating’

‘An impressive debut that is a page turner’

‘Oh my heart. This is a must-read book!’

‘What Reed does brilliantly is hold the large and the intimate at once. The war is never backdrop but the story never loses sight of the small human negotiations happening inside it’

Publisher Review

Vivid, heart-stopping and moving * Bookseller, Top Fiction in August 2026 * A sweeping, historical tale. A brilliant meditation on family, friendship and the power of the human spirit — Irenosen Okojie MBE, author of Nudibranch A moving novel about storytelling and family that shows historic conflict and change on an intimate scale — Gurnaik Johal, author of Saraswati A mesmerizing debut that paints a heartfelt tale of wartime Korean orphanages and shanty towns. Shimmering with love, sacrifice, and betrayal — Yangsze Choo, author of The Fox Wife Bora Lee Reed has written a beautifully told, beautifully constructed chronicle not just of war, but of growing up, of storytelling and survival, of the ties that bind both blood family and found family. Song For Another Home is timely, wide-ranging, immersive historical fiction and a magnificent debut — Laurie Frankel, author of This is How it Always is An astonishing debut, huge in its scale and evocation of an unsung history — Luke Kennard, author of The Transition Conjures a whole world with such lightness of touch. I cared deeply for these characters and wept when it was time to say goodbye — Ruth Gilligan, author of The Butchers