Pachinko is a Korean gambling game. A young Korean girl who is pregnant out of wedlock is selected to be married by a minister who moves them to Japan for work. In the midst of war, they are doing everything they can to scrape by, including living with her husband's brother and wife. This story follows this family through several generations as they see that the lot of life is similar to the gambling process Pachinko - sometimes it works out, and sometimes it doesn't - you just have to know when to quit while you're ahead or you may lose everything. Beautiful characters in a harsh reality, and I especially loved the way Lee absolutely gutted us with the suddenness of so many characters dying or having awful things happen to them. The writing is absolutely impeccable. I also learned a lot about the Korean/Japanese experience of being the "model" race. Recommended.
Pairings: One Hundred Years of Solitude, Homegoing