genre: memoir
Michelle’s relationship with her Korean mother hasn’t been easy. Being raised in America but spending summers in Seoul, she never could quite figure out where her place was. When Michelle's mom gets sick, though, all of a sudden it’s super clear where Michelle belongs- and that’s with the mom who was with her through all of the trickiness - and with a lot of trickiness of her own.
This is absolutely a grief memoir, mother-daughter memoir. Michelle’s life as a Korean-American is so shaped by her mother that the possibility of loosing her feels akin to loosing a part of herself. The writing is succinct yet descriptive - sometimes it felt a little repetitive, especially when she was talking about what she ate at restaurants, but it’s clear that food was a huge bond between Michelle, her mom and the Korean culture. Regrets and memories, the realization that our parents are whole people too -it isn’t a happy or particularly amazing book, but it made me think and especially it made me feel.
I didn’t love the authors reading voice but I liked hearing the correct pronunciation Korean words. It’s a worthwhile listen.
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