Women of Uneasy Virtue

About the Book

East meets West on intimate terms in this striking series of sketches and stories about modern Korean women, most of them involved with western men. Frankly sexual in nature, the stories reflect the oriental approach to the war between the sexes.

The women are drawn from all levels of Korean society, beginning with the lowest--prostitutes. The first section deals mainly with prostitutes working out of the ‘ville,’ the army camptown in Seoul. The brutalized lives of typical ville whores are described in short, dispassionate sketches.

The tales move through the predicaments of women in the lower orders of the social structure--hostesses, serving girls, runaways and other misfits.  There are also shop girls, students, a nurse, and a mail order bride.

Moving up the ladder, there are tales of women who have risen high in society, only to find themselves alone or dissatisfied. These include a professor, a television anchorwoman, and a former Miss Korea.

Despite the sadness of many of the tales in WOMEN OF UNEASY VIRTUE, the book is ultimately a celebration of the strength, beauty, and passionate nature of Korean women.

About the Author

Paul Luchessa was born in Berkeley, graduated from Harvard in 1968, and received a teaching diploma from London University in 1984. Beginning in 1978, he taught English in South Korean universities for sixteen years.