A review by amyayeme
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

Spanning multiple generations, this book covered the plight of a family of Zainichi Koreans migrating from their homeland to Japan. Having some understanding of the historical context is useful, but Lee generally offers the reader enough to follow the story.

The story is absolutely heartbreaking, covering generational trauma and the attempted searches for and erasures of personal identity in an attempt to belong.