Last days of the morning calm (Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Pte Ltd)

Korea, 1895: court intrigue and foreign powers threaten the centuries-old 'hermit kingdom'. In a prominent manor, Ji-nah, the sheltered 14 year-old ward, and Han, the 17 year-old servant are left in the tight grip of Tutor Lim when Master Yi travels to Peking. The tutor strips Ji-nah's privileged life and crushes Han's future. When the two young people uncover the tutor's broader conspiracy with the Japanese to overthrow Queen Min, they determine to save the queen, whose fate seems tied to their master. Their plans go awry when the tutor sells them off as slaves: Ji-nah to the palace and Han to the missionaries. Will appeal to teenage readers.