A review by acouplereadss
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

Michelle Zauner shares her experience growing up Korean American, the path of forging her own identity and the loss of her mother in this extremely powerful and beautifully written memoir. With humour and wit Zauner describes her childhood growing up as one of the few Asian American children in Eugene, Oregon, her mother’s high expectations, and her treasured time spent in Seoul with her mothers family. As she grew up and grew further away in terms of distance, moving to the East Coast for college for her pursuit of becoming a performing artist, her bond with her mother also grew apart. One day her parents call her with distressing news, her mother has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. At 25 Zauner packs up and travels back to Eugene, Oregon. This forced return to her childhood home forces her to reclaim her identity and relationship with her mother. Each chapter is dipped in amazing descriptions of Korean food, filled with anecdotes from Zauner’s life and at its core digs into grief.

Zauner’s words gripped me from the very first line. I knew immediately this was going to be unlike any other memoir I’ve read. Her writing evoked a sensory experience unlike any I’ve had while reading. I was entranced by the lyrical writing, rich descriptions of food and the feeling of every emotion of her grief. I recommend this to everyone, forewarning though - the grief transcends the pages. I teared up many times throughout this book. It’s unimaginable what it feels like to lose someone so close to you, until it happens. Zauner has poured her heart into this book and the essence of the mother/daughter bond can be felt.

Food ties us together in ways nothing else does and Zauner’s explanation of her connection to her mother through food was absolutely beautiful. I can’t stress enough how amazing this book is. Heavy and raw and beautiful and hopeful in life after loss.