A selection of first sentences from new books, Feb. 12

It was a warm night in the bunker and Colonel Myung Lee was worried about money.

“NK3,” a novel by Michael Tolkin

He was expecting Estrella to be bigger.

“The Schooldays of Jesus,” a novel by J.M. Coetzee

History has failed us, but no matter.

“Pachinko,” a novel by Min Jin Lee