The Trunk

Inji is a Field Wife working for the New Marriage department of Wedding & Life, a matchmaking agency wherein wealthy clients can hire a wife or husband for a short-term contract. Once the contract is finished, you both walk away from the marriage without the legalities of a messy divorce. After a bad experience with one of her husbands, Inji has denied two similar men who wanted to hire her. However, the New Marriage department will only allow her to deny so many men without then losing her job. So, when one of Inji’s previous husbands reaches out to reignite their contract for another year, Inji thinks this will be a safe option to keep her job, but not risk another bad experience with a new stranger.

Kim Ryeo-ryeong’s world is mystifying with its quirky side plots, eccentric characters, and sardonic humour. Through Inji, we discover the complexities and power struggles within marriage, the political intrigue within the New Marriage management, and the ways in which women seek power in an environment where they have none. Inji’s story isn’t necessarily a tale of ‘female rage’, but more of how tiring it can be to be a woman in a man’s world, of how exhausting it is being told how to look and dress by men who don’t take care of their own personal appearance, and how to act by men who don’t or won’t understand ‘no’.

Although bearing similarities to The Handmaid’s Tale, The Trunk is less of a thriller and more of a dystopian commentary on marriage, capitalism, and gender expectations, especially in the context of the rigid gender norms and declining fertility rates in South Korea. This is a book that will make you angry, make you laugh, but more importantly, will make you think.