The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly by Sun-Mi Hwang

The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly

Sun-Mi Hwang

This short novel by a South Korean author has become a world wide bestseller. Sprout, a battery hen, decides she's had enough of laying eggs which are taken from her and decides to leave and lay some eggs she can keep. How she achieves this desire against the odds of farmers and predators is well told. As with all animal stories, there is cruelty and sadness. Translated into slightly Americanised English but easy to read.

Extract
'I know can't lay eggs any more,' Sprout said to herself. 'But it's okay. I'm sitting on an egg! My dreams are coming true. It's only one egg, but that's fine with me.' She wanted to believe she had rediscovered one of the many long-lost eggs she had laid in the past ....
A lump hardened in her throat. This is my egg. My baby that I can tell my stories to! Already Sprout loved the egg. Even if the mother came back, she wasn't sure she could give it up. She concentrated solely on keeping the egg warm; she could feel the tiny heart beating inside the shell.
Parallels
  • The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
  • The Joy of Ex-Battery Hens by Sophie McCoy