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The Young Will Remember follows the entwined lives of three women during wartime in a moving tale of female resiliency”When people read it, I hope they see not just the impact of war on women, but also the many roles that women have in war,” author Eve Chung tells PEOPLEChung’s new novel follows the success of her earlier Daughters of Shandong
From bestselling author Eve Chung comes another sweeping tale of female resiliency and strength.
The Young Will Remember follows the increasingly entwined lives of three women during wartime, and their quests for connection, liberation and safety as the war draws ever closer. Set to debut in May 2026, Chung’s new novel illuminates a “forgotten war” and women’s strength during such an uncertain time.
Set in 1950, The Young Will Remember first introduces readers to Ellie Chang, a Chinese American journalist sent to cover a battle in North Korea. When her plane is shot down, Ellie is rescued by a woman named Emma, whose own daughter has been lost since the end of the last war.
The Young Will Remember by Eve Chung.
Berkley
Emma convinces the Pak family, who is providing her shelter, to also take in Ellie amid growing threats to their safety. But Imo, the Pak family’s matriarch, remains apprehensive of the American addition to their household, for she “knows too well the danger of being seen with the enemy.”
“As bombing intensifies, Ellie urges the women to flee southward with her,” the book’s synopsis reads. “Together they chase the constantly moving frontline: Emma always searching, Imo haunted by the past and Ellie keeping her identity hidden at all costs … even as her life becomes forever entangled with theirs.”
The author tells PEOPLE her background working in women’s rights and international criminal law inspired the themes of The Young Will Remember. Using fictional characters to shed light on Chinese and American intervention in the Korean War, as well as Taiwan and Korea’s shared history of colonialism, Chung seeks to illuminate the range of responsibilities women assume during war.
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Eve Chung.
Eve J. Chung
“When people read it, I hope they see not just the impact of war on women, but also the many roles that women have in war — in political movements, human rights, peace-building and justice,” Chung tells PEOPLE. “I am honored to be able to share this story with you.”
Chung’s new novel follows the immense success of her Daughters of Shandong, which explores similar themes of resiliency and political conflict while interrogating longstanding gender roles.
The Young Will Remember will debut on May 5, 2026 and is available for preorder now, wherever books are sold.