War With Pigeons

by Tae Kim

Overview

'If you are reading this letter it could only mean that I'm dead and I suspect the circumstances of my death were less than natural,'' begins the letter from Simon to his dear friend Peter.

Peter, appointed the executor of the deceased's estate, uncovers more about Simon's life during the administration of his Last Will and Testament than during the lifetime they had shared as friends. Simon's reflections, codified in a small, black notebook, of the variety that Hemingway and Picasso were purported to have used, provide insights into the deepest recesses of Peter's own life, allowing him to find love and meaning in an existence that had to that point been marked by loss.

From the insidious room salons that discreetly litter the side streets in Midtown Manhattan, to the cafes and night clubs frequented by young Asian professionals and kyo-pos, War With Pigeons artfully immerses the reader into a segment of American society that is rarely seen.

At its heart, the book is a story of love, loss and hope, whether it's in the context of one courageous woman's hardships in coming to America, the sufferings of her son to secure love in an unsympathetic world or the struggles of a beautiful woman to continue on the path of life after her beloved has departed.

This debut novel from writer Tae Kim is a tribute to the tradition of storytelling, using prose that is entertaining and sensually romantic at times, heart-wrenching and poignantly riveting at others, but always passionate and beautifully written.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940012924223
Publisher:	aStoryTelling
Publication date:	02/02/2010
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	394
File size:	252 KB

About the Author

Tae Kim was born in Inchon, South Korea and immigrated to the United States in 1971. He spent most of his childhood growing up in various areas of Brooklyn, New York, most notably Mill Basin.

In 1982, Kim was granted admission to attend Hunter College High School – a magnet school located in Manhattan’s Upper East Side. He graduated from Hunter with varsity letters in both baseball and volleyball and was awarded the US Marine Corp’s Distinguished Athlete Award in 1988.

Upon graduation from high school, Kim attended Haverford College in Haverford, Pennsylvania, where he majored in History with concentrations in East Asian, European and American studies. During his junior fall semester, Kim participated in an exchange program that allowed him to study Korean culture, Korean language and Korean history abroad at Yonsei University. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Haverford in 1992 and, subsequently, his Juris Doctor degree from New York University School of Law in 1995.

Following graduation from law school, Kim worked as a securitization attorney for several years at Brown & Wood LLP, prior to the firm’s merger with Sidley Austin LLP. In March of 2001, he transitioned to Moody’s Investors Service, leaving his law office in the World Trade Center a few months prior to the September 11 terrorist attacks. After working for five years at the rating agency as a legal analyst and, later, a senior credit officer, Kim accepted an offer to work for HSBC Bank USA, National Association in 2006. He’s currently a senior vice president at the bank.

The most significant change to Kim’s life came in 2004, when he married his sweetheart of seven years. They currently live in Bergen County, New Jersey with their three beautiful children.

Kim has been a speaker at the Arizona ABS Conference (February 2003), Moody’s Annual CDO Investor Briefing (September 2005) and the Bear Stearns Mortgage Credit Roundtable (December 2005). He is also the author of a number of publications including “Moody’s Approach to Addressing Risks Specific to Institution-to-Retail Trust Certificates,” “The Use of Grantor Trusts in CDO Transactions,” and “Netting and the Aaa Derivative Product Companies: the Netherlands."

Editorial Reviews

There is more to an estate than simply money. "War With Pigeons" tells the story of Peter, as he receives a collection of his friends reflections and memoirs. Through the novel, Tae Kim gives readers a vivid picture of Asian American society and how the Asian culture still remains prominent in their lives at many levels of society. "War With Pigeons" is an intriguing and fascinating novel, highly recommended.

James A. Cox

"War With Pigeons," by Tae Kim, is suspenseful, thrilling, and in my opinion - a piece of literary talent at its finest.

Barbara Watkins

Filled with detailed, thoughtfully drawn and engaging characters, with a great flow to the story and a series of fascinating descriptions of scenes probably well known to Korean-Americans, but utterly foreign to most other readers, this novel grabs you and does not let go. Simon's struggle to do the right thing and his tormented musings are very credible and I found myself turning pages with anticipation, wanting and needing to know more. . . . undeniably beautiful and rather poetic.

Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson

Kim nicely handles intricate, recurring themes and images, such as that of the pigeon Simon saved from his mother's balcony. The author is also talented at portraying a rough side of the city - room salons where men can purchase the attentions of beautiful women - with respect and compassion. Kim's characters are precisely written yet maintain enough of a spark of vitality to keep readers caring and concerned . . . . an enticing first book that reveals plenty of potential.

Editor Review

. . . a beautifully written novel. Tae Kim's talents show in his narrative ability and effortless storytelling. The author shows his writing at its most impressive when he drills down to the emotions of suppressed angst, loneliness and longings, . . . a fresh look at the Korean American experience; . . . a convincing exploration of the relationship of two friends, and the universal need for love and acceptance.

Bill Drucker