Clay Walls is a story about a Korean immigrant family from about 1920 to 1946, and their struggle to find their place in the United States. The first part of the novel is narrated from the point of view of Haesu and her husband, Chun. Haesu, seems to be the center of consciousness in the novel, making it clear the story is of a female immigrant's attempts to survive in America, as well as a demonstration of the significance of loyalty to the homeland. Of the yangban, aristocratic class, Haesu suffers deeply because of the poverty and racism she encounters when she moves to Los Angeles to join her husband. Though Chun is of a lower class, their marriage was approved by her parents because he had requested his employer, an American missionary, to serve as matchmaker. Haesu has difficulty adapting to American life and establishing a peaceful relationship with her husband, and raises their children Harold, John, and Faye to believe that Korea is the true home to which they will return. She participates actively in pro-independence meetings and nurtures an idealized vision of Korea, until a trip home destroys her illusions. On her voyage back, as she unwittingly becomes involved in a case of intrigue and espionage, she learns that her parents have separated, that Japanese officers maintain a strict surveillance over village affairs, and that her uncle is a political fugitive.
This situation makes Haesu and Chun to return permanently to the United States. Nonetheless, before leaving, they buy land in Quaksan, as security and for the satisfaction of being landowners, and as a way of maintaining a link to Korea. The land is lost when North Korea is created. The family tragedy is heightened when Chun loses his most productive contract for his produce supply business, becomes addicted to gambling, and is forced to leave home to find work as an itinerant laborer. He dies alone and penniless in Reno, Nevada. Haesu's determination to raise her children forces her to work,...