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A review by haejules
Please Look After Mom by Kyung-sook Shin
5.0
I rarely, if ever feel compelled to write reviews on books that I've had the pleasure (or displeasure) of reading. However, this novel struck a chord with me. In the simplest words I would describe this book as a telling of one family's sorrow in the search for their mom. In reality it's so much more. It's a story of Korean culture, regrets, selflessness, and the depth of motherly love.
As a daughter of Korean immigrant parents, this little story gave me insight in understanding where I come from. Told in a second person narrative and in four different perspectives, it illustrates the gap between two generations, one focused on the mother's old world Korean culture and the modern culture of contemporary Korea adopted by the now adult children, and the disconnection between the two. It is this disconnect which causes some discomfort in the relationship between the adult children and their mother who has dedicated her whole life to her children. Growing up with a mother who knew all too well about sacrifice and life's struggles I found that this little story mirrored my upbringing and more often than I'd like to admit, found parallels between the relationship the mother had with Chi-hon with my own relationship with my mom. It not only made me re-examine my relationship with my mother but gave me insight, and an understanding of who she is and why she raised me how she did.
As a daughter of Korean immigrant parents, this little story gave me insight in understanding where I come from. Told in a second person narrative and in four different perspectives, it illustrates the gap between two generations, one focused on the mother's old world Korean culture and the modern culture of contemporary Korea adopted by the now adult children, and the disconnection between the two. It is this disconnect which causes some discomfort in the relationship between the adult children and their mother who has dedicated her whole life to her children. Growing up with a mother who knew all too well about sacrifice and life's struggles I found that this little story mirrored my upbringing and more often than I'd like to admit, found parallels between the relationship the mother had with Chi-hon with my own relationship with my mom. It not only made me re-examine my relationship with my mother but gave me insight, and an understanding of who she is and why she raised me how she did.