The Great Wave

“And so I’ll live in hope. However long. Until I know for sure. Until I know.”

In a Japanese coastal town in 1979, teenage sisters Hanako and Reiko run onto the beach during a tremendous storm on a dare. Hanako is tragically swept out to sea, while Reiko survives — but recalls seeing three mysterious men on the shoreline. The authorities determine that Hanako has drowned, but her mother insists that her missing daughter is still alive.

Spanning over 20 years and the two vastly different countries of Japan and North Korea, The Great Wave is at once a riveting geopolitical thriller and a powerful story of the unshakable bonds between a mother, a daughter, and a sister who refuse to give up hope.

“Timely. Gripping. A fascinating story.” — Guardian (UK)

“Will bowl you over. A deeply emotional story.” — The Times (London)