Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.33 AVERAGE
4.33 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
I read this book for a book club after meaning to read it for YEARS, and I loved it. Michelle Zauner writes in a relaxed, comfortable yet relatable style, and the foodie in me loved how she centered important memories around food. I learned a lot about Korean cuisine from this memoir!
As someone who's never had a very close personal relationship with her parents, there were elements that felt foreign to me, and I was frustrated at times by reading through her grief, but that's a me-problem, not a book problem. This reminded me of how desperately I wanted to be the child of immigrants when I was a kid.
(I say all the above with two healthy, alive parents; we'll see how I feel once they're gone).
The only reason I didn't give it a total 5/5 is that it was a struggle to get through at times. I'm not one for very long, meandering narratives; I like things to be a bit more efficient. Still loved it though, and I will be trying some of the dishes outlined in this novel.
As someone who's never had a very close personal relationship with her parents, there were elements that felt foreign to me, and I was frustrated at times by reading through her grief, but that's a me-problem, not a book problem. This reminded me of how desperately I wanted to be the child of immigrants when I was a kid.
(I say all the above with two healthy, alive parents; we'll see how I feel once they're gone).
The only reason I didn't give it a total 5/5 is that it was a struggle to get through at times. I'm not one for very long, meandering narratives; I like things to be a bit more efficient. Still loved it though, and I will be trying some of the dishes outlined in this novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Medical content
emotional
sad
medium-paced
How do I describe this book. Both tender and devastating. If this book did not talk about the Authors mother, butcher relationship with her mother alone would be heartbreakingly beautiful. The tension of the all consuming love of immigrant mothers is enough to make this immigrant girl cry. But take that and add to it, a sudden cancer diagnosis? This book with carve out a piece of your heart and plant itself there. It is unforgettable. I admire the authors strength in recounting such a horrific experience. I am grateful that she shared her story with us. May the sharp edges of her grief always be softened for what she had given us with this book.
p.s. this author is also the lead singer of Japanese breakfast
p.s. this author is also the lead singer of Japanese breakfast
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
This book was heartbreaking, uplifting, and so so full of care. I loved the detailed descriptions of Korean dishes and their specific connection to the authors’ feelings and memories. Listening to the author narrate the audio book made it that much more upsetting as she detailed her mothers descent into a cruel illness, but also that much more reassuring to hear how she travelled through grief to find herself in a place where she has rediscovered love, success, and a new connection with her family. Read this book, love your mother, eat good food, and treasure the time you get with your family.
In addition to the obvious content warnings of grief, death, and cancer, this book also contains descriptions of physical and emotional abuse of children, mentions of sexual abuse, addiction and substance use, and promotion of eating disorders.
The descriptions of food are lovely, and this book will definitely make you want to cook, although the style is a bit heavy to read without breaks. Michelle Zauner sets herself apart from other memoirists by not attempting to impose any particular view of her relationships, particularly with the central character of her mother. It's a testament to the honesty and innocent completeness of Zauner's writing that I think most readers will disagree with the way she sees herself and her mother differently than she does.
The descriptions of food are lovely, and this book will definitely make you want to cook, although the style is a bit heavy to read without breaks. Michelle Zauner sets herself apart from other memoirists by not attempting to impose any particular view of her relationships, particularly with the central character of her mother. It's a testament to the honesty and innocent completeness of Zauner's writing that I think most readers will disagree with the way she sees herself and her mother differently than she does.
fast-paced
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced