Violets by Kyung-Sook Shin

In South Korea during 1970, young San is an outcast among her community. Her only friend, Namae, turns on her after a moment of intimacy, leading San down a dangerous path. Fast forward to age twenty-two, when San takes a job at a flower shop in bustling Seoul. A tumultuous summer introduces her to a unique group of characters and fuels her obsession with a magazine photographer. Despite her determination to start anew, San cannot escape the lingering memory of her encounter with Namae. Violets portrays the struggles of a woman seeking independence and connection in a harsh and oppressive society.