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A review by smacey
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.75
4.75/5.00
Michelle Zauner does an incredible job telling the story of her complicated relationship with her mother and experience of losing a parent to cancer. She shows immense amounts of vulnerability, bravery, openness, honesty, empathy, and strength throughout this book. While I have not experienced a parent enduring a terminal illness, I have, as many other women have, played the role of the daughter in an equal parts beautiful, equal parts difficult mother-daughter relationship and found myself relating to many of the feelings Zauner described having as a result of navigating such a relationship. It was also so fun to read about the various Korean cuisines Zauner described cooking and eating and the way in which food was a central part of her life, culture, and familial relationships. Additionally, I think she does an incredible job giving insight into the experiences of a biracial woman in America and navigating the complexities of having two different cultures that sometimes feel so central to who she is and at other times so far removed from her. As a later generations European American, I cannot relate to this aspect of her story, but I appreciate her willingness to share with the world her cultures and unique lens as a Korean American.
One of the only negatives I have to say about this book is, although Michelle Zauner is arguably best known for being the lead singer of the band Japanese Breakfast, I felt like she could've (and wished that she would've) spoken more on her life as a famous musician and how that relates to the rest of what was told in this memoir. I respect entirely that this was not a book about that aspect of her life, but I was left at times getting pieces of that and how the events she described impacted her musical career both before and during the height of it but wishing I had been let in more. This is obviously a personal memoir though, and I completely respect that she may not have wanted to make that much of a focus of the book at all and felt that she included what was only necessary to include from that part of her life.
Definitely a well-written book and worthwhile read, particularly for women who have navigated any type of "tough love" motherly relationship, experienced a parent with a terminal illness, or identify as being biracial.
Michelle Zauner does an incredible job telling the story of her complicated relationship with her mother and experience of losing a parent to cancer. She shows immense amounts of vulnerability, bravery, openness, honesty, empathy, and strength throughout this book. While I have not experienced a parent enduring a terminal illness, I have, as many other women have, played the role of the daughter in an equal parts beautiful, equal parts difficult mother-daughter relationship and found myself relating to many of the feelings Zauner described having as a result of navigating such a relationship. It was also so fun to read about the various Korean cuisines Zauner described cooking and eating and the way in which food was a central part of her life, culture, and familial relationships. Additionally, I think she does an incredible job giving insight into the experiences of a biracial woman in America and navigating the complexities of having two different cultures that sometimes feel so central to who she is and at other times so far removed from her. As a later generations European American, I cannot relate to this aspect of her story, but I appreciate her willingness to share with the world her cultures and unique lens as a Korean American.
One of the only negatives I have to say about this book is, although Michelle Zauner is arguably best known for being the lead singer of the band Japanese Breakfast, I felt like she could've (and wished that she would've) spoken more on her life as a famous musician and how that relates to the rest of what was told in this memoir. I respect entirely that this was not a book about that aspect of her life, but I was left at times getting pieces of that and how the events she described impacted her musical career both before and during the height of it but wishing I had been let in more. This is obviously a personal memoir though, and I completely respect that she may not have wanted to make that much of a focus of the book at all and felt that she included what was only necessary to include from that part of her life.
Definitely a well-written book and worthwhile read, particularly for women who have navigated any type of "tough love" motherly relationship, experienced a parent with a terminal illness, or identify as being biracial.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Terminal illness, and Grief
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Racism, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, and Death of parent