Could you marry a man you've never met? Three Korean women in 1910 make a life-changing journey to Hawaii where they will marry, having seen only a photograph of their intended husbands.


Different fates await each of these women. Hongju, who dreams of a marriage of 'natural love', meets a man who looks twenty years older than his photograph; Songhwa, who wants to escape from her life of ridicule as the granddaughter of a shaman, meets a lazy drunkard. And then there's Willow, whose 26-year-old groom, Taewan, looks just like his image ...

Real life doesn't always resemble a picture, but there's no going back. And while things don't turn out quite as they'd hoped, even for Willow, they do find something that makes their journey worthwhile - each other.



'A fascinating journey into the world of Korean "picture brides" whose lives take unexpected turns as they land on distant shores. A beautiful testimony to those women bold and determined enough to leave behind all that was familiar, seeking a better life.'
-Lisa Wingate, #1 New York Times bestselling author Before We Were Yours and The Book of Lost Friends

'Lee Geum-yi has a gift for taking little-known embers of history and transforming them into moving, compelling, and uplifting stories. I loved Willow from the first page to the last. Loved her courage, and her tenacious, yet caring, beautiful soul. The Picture Bride is the ultimate story of the power of friendship - a must read!'
-Heather Morris, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz and Three Sisters

'A transporting and immersive story that will enthral historical fiction readers. Poignant and moving, its unforgettable characters will stay with you long after you've finished reading.'
-Chanel Cleeton, New York Times bestselling author of The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba