Tug of War Book

An American man and a Korean woman defy family disapproval and cultural taboos in this stunning tale of forbidden love. Michael MacNamara is a disillusioned young American who has been traveling the globe to assuage the pain of a disappointing romance. Circumstances have brought him to Korea and though he feels no affinity for the people or their culture, Michael nevertheless commits to a teaching position. Living in a shadowy neighborhood near the American army base, he establishes a superficial camaraderie with his fellow expatriates, but otherwise keeps apart. Yet Michael can't help but notice the lovely Pok Suyun, a fellow teacher and very proper young Korean woman. Though Michael is attracted to Suyun, he is acutely aware that Korea is a fiercely ethnocentric country-he has no intention of flouting the societal constraints that prohibit him from fraternizing with his female coworkers. However, Suyun is fascinated by the enigmatic stranger and dares to allow her curiosity to overcome propriety. Once she sets in motion the tentative overtures of what she tells herself is friendship, neither Michael nor Suyun can deny the overwhelming attraction that draws them together. Soon all reserve is cast aside as they fall utterly in love. Suyun inspires in Michael a devotion that he has never before experienced and he is determined to overcome any obstacle to marry her. Michael eagerly plunges into a campaign to win the approval of Suyun's family, though he soon understands that Suyun's sternly traditional father will remain adamant in his condemnation of their relationship. Suyun and Michael then conspire to wed in secret, never realizing that their marriage will have cataclysmic repercussions. Brendan M. Carson earned a BA in History from the University of Rhode Island and an MA in Teaching from the University of Alaska Southeast. He has worked as a whitewater river guide in Alaska and taught English in Pusan, Korea and at the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut. Currently residing in Juneau, Alaska where he works in a job-training program, he is also a co-owner of the Red Rooster Tobacconist, a popular cigar lounge located in Newtown, Connecticut.Read More