Reviews with content warning for Injury/Injury detail - Sobre mi hija

This book is an exploration of the mind of an elderly woman who has to come to terms with the fact that her daughter is a lesbian. It's not a happy or particularly uplifting book; in fact, the protagonist is (intentionally) frustrating and unlikeable.
A second, big part of the story is that the narrator works as a carer at a nursing home. This way, the theme of accepting other people's differences is connected to the fear of growing old alone, and of dying lonely. Another theme is that of being a person - which is discussed very explicitly in relation to the MC's patients, and implied in the way she refuses to refer to her daughter as anything but that - her daughter. Not a person of her own.
Thirdly, the book discusses capitalism, the gruelling reality of work and alienation, and living on the line to poverty.

As is typical for Korean fiction, the book is quite understated. It does not present a neat solution. The world of this book remains relatively bleak throughout its entirety.

While the ending may be frustrating or unfulfilling to some, I enjoyed the realism of it. The beauty of female relationships shone, even in harrowing conditions. And it serves as a fruitful critique of capitalism and contemporary society.

TW for homophobia and an extremely toxic mother-daughter relationship.

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minxtte's review against another edition

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sad slow-paced

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

3.0

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lucyatoz's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Concerning My Daughter by Kim Hye-Jin is a story told from the prospective of the unnamed mother. Her daughter, Green, and her girlfriend, Lane, move in with her as she struggles to understand their non-traditional life compared to that which she had with her late husband. She voices her fears that without a husband or children, her daughter will one day end up alone, just as the woman who she is the carer of, living with dementia, is.

It is a interesting and complex character story of a mother and daughter and their struggles to understand each other across the generational divide.

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breadbummer's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

3.5

Being queer, this book makes me wonder how my parents really view my queerness considering how they still talk to members of my family about my girlfriend being my friend; are they trying to protect me, or are they worried about how it will reflect on them? It was a very painful read in this way, but I did enjoy seeing the mother's way of caring for the elderly patients and was heartened (in a way?) by her

ultimately losing her job because she refused to take part in elder abuse

. This also hit me pretty hard, as it reminded me think about how the people at my grandma's nursing home could have possibly treated her the way they did.

On another note, I don't really know how I feel about the ending...it seemed like it was at the right point to stop but, at the same time, felt very abrupt and indefinite.

The book, itself, I think is a great example for how to take on the perspective of a multifaceted character, but the story itself was rather bleak and just alright, I guess.

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catandherbooks's review against another edition

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reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

A moving story about motherhood and love. About the bonds that unite us as much as the things that keep us about from one another.

Sometimes all you can do is keep going, even if there are issues that you can't work out just yet.

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jessabr's review against another edition

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challenging reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

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yasmin_raev's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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drinkthefloor's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

i am emotionally floored. this hyper realistic novel, told through stream of consciousness presents issues of intergenerational conflict, aging, and what makes a family in a stark narrative which delivers the strongest emotional whiplash. probably the most meaningful book i’ve read in a while.

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