A review by marywahlmeierbracciano
Please Look After Mom by Kyung-sook Shin

emotional reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Please Look After Mom is a heartbreaking book.  It follows a Korean family as they look for their mother, who went missing at the subway station during a trip to Seoul.  Her two daughters, eldest son, and husband recount their memories with her, leaping between past and present—grieving, regretting, hoping.  Kyung-sook Shin’s title character also narrates her journey, the unacknowledged Passion of a poor, illiterate Korean country woman with secrets and sorrows, attending to the smallest details with great care.  This book reminds readers that every person is a whole, complex human being who deserves care and respect—even your mom. 
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