Enjoying White Mulberry by Rosa Kwon Easton out from Lake Union Publishing:

“…Once, she had seen some young men at the market staring at her sister like this—like she was something they wanted to own. While Bohbeh had blushed at the men’s attention, Miyoung had thrust herself into their view. Born in the Year of the Dragon, she was ready to fight, even at eleven years old; she would torch this enemy with her fire breath and swat him with her mighty tail….”

In Easton’s lyrical and taut opening, Miyoung dreams of a future filled with study and authenticity in 1928 Japan-occupied Korea. Easton’s prose is beautiful and surgical, drawing the reader into Miyoung’s bravery, “ready to fight, even at eleven years old….” READ NOW

About  White Mulberry

About Rosa Kwon Easton

Rosa Kwon Easton is a writer, attorney, elected trustee of the Palos Verdes Library District, and mother of two adult children.  She is an Anaphora Writing Residency Fellow and has been published in CRAFT Literary, Writer’s Digest, StoryCenter.org and others.  She has also been published in numerous newspapers and anthologies, performed a story on stage at the Expressing Motherhood show in L.A., and spoken in front of various organizations, including Kia USA and Peninsula Friends of the Library.  She believes in the power of story to educate, broaden cultural understanding, and inspire others to discover their own stories. Read more at rosakwoneaston.com.

About Openings

Openings is a recommendation column for Eckleburg readers, featuring fantastic books with fantastic openings, where readers first meet intriguing characters, settings and moments in which the mind can explore what is and what might be. Explore more great Openings with us at Eckleburg.

Rae Cline

Rae Cline is the author of the short story collection The Indefinite State of Imaginary Morals (Patasola Press, NY). Her debut novel is forthcoming from 7.13 Books in spring 2026. Her stories, essays, and poetry have appeared in print and online at The Paris Review, The Missouri Review, McSweeney’s, DIAGRAM, North American Review, Gargoyle and more. Her fiction and creative nonfiction have won prizes, scholarships and fellowships from Johns Hopkins, American University, Aspen Writers Foundation and North American Review. She earned an M.A. in Writing at Hopkins and received her M.F.A. in Fiction and Creative Nonfiction from American University, where she was the recipient of the Starr and Sartwell scholarships. She has lectured on campuses and other venues including Hopkins, American University, the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa, St. Mary’s College of Maryland and others. She is the founding editor of Eckleburg and is represented by Jennifer Carlson with Dunow, Carlson & Lerner Literary Agency. Read more at raecline.com.