A review by author_d_r_oestreicher
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

dark informative reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

 
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee follows matriarch Sunja’s Korean family from the 1930s to 1989 through the Japanese occupation, World War II, the Cold War, and the Korean War. In the 1930s Sunja became pregnant with Hansu’s child. When he revealed that he had a wife and three daughters in Osaka, she spurned him. It later turned out that he was a rich yakuza (gangster). Instead, she married Isak (a Christian minister). With her new husband, she moved to Osaka as things were dire in Korea (because of the Japanese occupation). She suffered from racism and poverty in Japan even though Hansu stayed in touch and offered support. The book follows her family, her son with Hansu (Noa), her son with Isak (Mozasu), and Mozasu’s son (Solomon). A story of living with racism and poverty (not from the United States). 

 
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