Wrought from the tumultuous history of the Korean War and its long-lasting reverberations, 'The Surrendered' by Chang-rae Lee explores the intersecting lives of June Han, Hector Brennan, and Sylvie Tanner. Focused initially on June, a war orphan turned successful New York entrepreneur, the narrative unveils her secret-laden past as she prepares to confront it head-on. Lee constructs a complex web that ensnares Hector, a former soldier and protector, as well as the cryptic Sylvie Tanner, a missionary's wife they both desired. The tale traverses emotionally scorched landscapes from Korea to an Italian battlefield, unearthing the myriad ways in which love, violence, and sacrifice stitch together the fabric of their existences. Lee delivers a poignant meditation on the impacts of war, the enduring nature of love, and the depths of human longing in this profound epic.