Faraway Nightingales

This is the story of our former generation, who struggled to raise their people out of poverty. Prior to writing this novel, I watched video clips and other recorded materials on the history of Korean miners and nurses dispatched to Germany in the years 1963~1977. The people who were dispatched made substantial contributions to the development of Korea’s economy, for most of them sent as much as three fourths of their income to their families in Korea. Moreover, those who remained in Germany after the end of their contract constitute the first generation of Korean immigrants in Germany. This is to say that they were the first to form the very first Korean immigrant societies in Germany, and later in different parts of Europe and in North America as well. I would like to warn you that this is not a history novel. It is simply a fictional story based on what I have read and heard of this group of people. Of course, there are sure to be limitations on the rendering of facts and details of their lives. I am also aware that there may be many subjects or facts that I do not know or understand well about them. Still, I hope this novel may, at the very least, give a general idea about who these people were and a general picture of their lives in Germany. Through this, I wish to pay tribute to the people, who I believe, deserve much recognition and honor.