Beasts take many shapes... It is 1917, and Korea is yet to be divided into north and south. With the threat of famine looming, a young girl named Jade is sold by her family to Miss Silver's courtesan school in cosmopolitan Pyongyang, an act of desperation that will cement her place in the lowest social status. But the city's days as a haven are numbered. The Japanese invasion is coming. Jade flees to Seoul where she forms a deep friendship with an orphan boy called JungHo. Soon their lives will be pulled in opposite directions, and Jade must decide between following her own ambitions, or risking everything for the one she loves. From the perfumed chambers of the courtesan school to the glamorous cafes of a modernising Seoul, the unforgettable characters of Beasts of a Little Land unveil a world where friends become enemies and enemies become saviours, where heroes are persecuted and beasts take many shapes.