Letters from Joseon: 19th-century Korea through the Eyes of an American Ambassador's Wife

John Mahelm Berry Sill served as the American Minister to Korea (1894–1897) during an extremely turbulent period of Korean history. This book uses the personal correspondence between the Sills in Korea and their family in the United States to portray candidly life in not only the American contingent in Seoul, but also the Russian legation, where King Gojong and the crown prince sought refuge following the murder of Queen Min. The letters also provide evidence of the rumors and speculation that plagued the daily lives of Westerners in Seoul and the Korean community as well.