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crabber's review against another edition
4.5
Zauner’s descriptions for her family and food are so vivid it really does make you feel at home with all the memories you’ve experienced. There’s so many things that tickled a part of my brain where I know something similar has happened in my life being an Asian immigrant in Canada.
Crying in H Mart is a perfect celebration of life and family and I loved so many bits of it even if some of it is as mundane as reminiscing the many times when someone cooks you a meal you will never forget and trying to make it years down the line. This book does a lot for me and if you’re a fan of biographical books and or Zauner in general, I’d highly recommend this book. It pairs well with Psychopomp and Soft Sounds from Another Planet.
Graphic: Cancer
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Drug abuse, Medical content, Addiction, Car accident, and Drug use
rucha_s's review against another edition
2.75
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Terminal illness, Cancer, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Grief, Medical content, Drug abuse, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Abortion
scmiller's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Body shaming, Cancer, Death of parent, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Terminal illness, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Body horror, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Vomit
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Abortion, Bullying, Car accident, Drug use, Racism, Addiction, Drug abuse, Excrement, Fatphobia, and Mental illness
Minor: Infidelity and Religious bigotry
thisbookrox's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Alcoholism and Drug abuse
gracer's review
5.0
Unfortunately for me, I read it on a kindle library book, and now I can't seem to access my notes anywhere. (Not through goodreads and not through the Libby app, I've read all the FAQs and questions, I swear.) Oh well. This is probably going to be a re-read at some point anyway.
This book is exceptional: Zauner writes about the tragic loss of her much-too-young mother and manages to strike a perfect tone. It isn't whiny or complainy. It isn't cold and distanced. It isn't overly indulgent. She seamlessly combines everything: memories of childhood visits to South Korea, where her mother is from; growing up Asian-American in the small city of Eugene; the sort of angst and frustration and rebelliousness that is often born of youth early adulthood; and the grave, bleak diagnosis of mother and her mother's subsequent treatment and care.
Furthermore, she does not shy away from the awful things -- terrible words members of the family sometimes said to each other, reasons she rebelled -- and then she does an exceptional job of showing the love of the family despite these things. She reminds us that families can sometimes cause any of us the most unbelievable pain, even the "best" ones. As I read this book, I thought that in many ways this would be a good book for a new parent to read, as an example of what not to do but also as a reminder that no one is perfect, that parents have been making mistakes for as long as there have been parents and not all parents are horrible for it.
She dances so gracefully around the complicated topic of her father, with whom she has a complicated and even resentful relationship. She addresses her issues but is at the same time very respectful, and all the while the book is dedicated completely to her mother - none of the father complications take a way from that, it is still only through the lens of her mother and her mother's death.
There is also so much food writing in this. I suppose that is somewhat implied by the title, but discreetly so, I would say, and nicely done. Be warned, you'll get hungry. But food is just another mediary through which Zauner navigates not only her identity and her relationship with her mother; it's also a reflection of her emotional changes throughout her mother's illness. It ties everything together.
When I started reading this book, I hadn't made it far before I found a line about growing up without a diaspora that really resonated with me. I wish I could find my notes and highlights now! I knew I was in for something good, and it just continued to be that. Even though it's such a tough and serious topic, it never dragged me down. I found this book so easy to read, like I just glided through it, stopping only to highlight striking phrases. Just beautiful. It lives up to the hype. I'm in awe of what Zauner did here. Read it.
Graphic: Death of parent, Terminal illness, Grief, Medical trauma, and Cancer
Moderate: Alcoholism
Minor: Car accident and Drug abuse
abbycole's review
5.0
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Death of parent, Medical content, Terminal illness, and Grief
Moderate: Car accident
Minor: Drug abuse, Abortion, Addiction, and Drug use
bashsbooks's review against another edition
4.5
Now I'm going to listen to Japanese Breakfast's Psychopomp.
Graphic: Death, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Medical trauma, Grief, Cancer, and Medical content
Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Racism
Minor: Blood, Body shaming, Car accident, Infidelity, and Vomit
katschkekat's review against another edition
3.0
Graphic: Death, Grief, Cancer, Chronic illness, and Death of parent
Minor: Addiction, Abortion, Medical content, Alcohol, Car accident, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, Vomit, and Drug use
cateyackerman's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Grief, Terminal illness, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Cancer
Moderate: Alcoholism, Car accident, Drug abuse, and Drug use
mariebouthi's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Abortion, Drug use, Drug abuse, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Death, and Grief