LADY HAHN AND HER SEVEN FRIENDS
by Yumi Heo
Henry Holt, 2012
Who can resist a book with their name in the title?!
In this Korean folktale, Lady Hahn is a seamstress. Each of her sewing tools claims to be the most important. Lady Hahn overhears them and grows angry, claims to be more important than any of the tools, and throws them into a box. The tools feel mistreated and misunderstood, so they hide from Lady Hahn, who has a miserable time trying to sew without them the next day. In the end, they realize that they all need each other to get the job done.
This Lady Hahn is more likely my mom than me, though. The Lady Hahn who raised and clothed me with hand-sewn blue-ribbon-at-the-county-fair creations made on her little black Singer worked miracles with needle and thread and fabric. She made baby dresses with smocking down the front, recital dresses from purple crepe, baton twirling costumes of velvet with sequins hand-sewn on, a dirndl from a German pattern, and even BARBIE DOLL CLOTHES with buttons so tiny I'm not sure how she didn't go blind sewing them on!
Nice review of the book, Mary Lee, but also sweet about your mom! My mother made all my clothes when I was young too. How did they manage it all? Probably because they didn't have computers!
ReplyDeleteThis story looks so enchanting. I can't wait to find it! I love how you linked it to a sweet memory of your mom's blinding work as well.
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