Crying in H Mart

Michelle Zauner’s memoir of her mother expertly navigates themes of biracial identity, Korean food, and human suffering. Owing to the many life experiences Zauner and I share as half-Korean, half-white people, she speaks to realities that have always eluded my own expression. For that—and for her beautiful, spiritual descriptions of Korean food—I am deeply grateful.

Long version: jdaymude.github.io/review/book-crying-in-h-mart/

I read this book on the recommendation of a friend; I had never listened to Japanese Breakfast prior to reading. The book is a touching and skillfully written memoir, all the more so since it is by someone so young. She writes movingly about her relationship with her mother, and the importance that food has in tying her to her Korean heritage. She doesn't shy away from difficult subjects or the moments when she and her parents do not get along. The book covers her mother's illness and death, and Zauner explores how she dealt with her grief at such a tragic loss. Despite having almost no background on the author, I enjoyed this book immensely.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by the author. I always love reading (hearing?) about the mixed heritage and/or immigrant experience, and I always love reading about food, and this book is heavy on both those points.

This is a memoir the author's loss of her mother and the work to integrate and come to terms with her mother's Korean heritage. There is a big emphasis on food as a cultural touchstone and social binding agent. Made me want to eat (more) Korean food.

I enjoyed this a lot, but I'm taking a couple of stars off because at times the writing didn't feel great, and at times it felt repetitive. It is possible that that narrated by a more gifted reader or as a plain old non-audio book it would have landed better for me.

Great memoir of losing a parent as a young adult, and of Korean cuisine's staples and nooks, like a nostalgic meal this is heavy but a rich balance of time spent caring and fearing and collecting and tying back to well before and gathering the family into what comes after.

This was both heart-wrenching and comforting, I loved it. I appreciate her explanations of Korean food and cultural references so that readers unfamiliar with them can easily understand and the beautiful detail with which she describes everything.