A review by caribbeangirlreading
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

emotional sad medium-paced

3.75

UNPOPULAR OPINION - My first reaction when I finished CiHM was that it was OK. Not amazing, but not terrible either. I’m not a fan of “celebrity memoirs” and I wasn’t a fan of the book’s casual narrative voice. I also felt that after that super strong first chapter (copied verbatim from her 2018 article) the book dragged for about 50 pages. It wasn’t until she moved to Oregon to take care of her mother that the book’s narrative became focused again. 

LOVED -Zauner’s vulnerability was raw and unfiltered. To paraphrase her own mother, she didn’t keep 10% to herself, and I truly appreciated that. We live in a society that is scared to speak of death and dying and we need to be more open about a stage of life that none of us will be able to avoid. Like many memoirs, this one is best “read” on audio. Her voice is not the most polished, but I loved hearing her pronounce the names of Korean foods properly and I think it added a layer of honesty to her story. 

Overall I’m glad I read this memoir and got to discuss it with book club friends. We had a wonderful time at a local family-owned Korean restaurant, eating many of the foods that Zauner enjoyed with her mom, and discussing our own complicated mother-daughter relationships. It also made me think deeply about how much I still rely on my mom to keep me connected to my Dominican family and how I need to do better. 
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