REVIEW - Crying in H Mart ebook

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner (ebook) 

OVERVIEW

So I am one of those readers who normally isn't a fan of best sellers. So I am going to be the outlier who likes this book but doesn't love it. It just didn't resonate as deeply for me as for others and that is okay.

Michelle Zauner is a beautiful writer, but this memoir felt more like a cathartic project for her than a memoir for the broader reader. Yes, she had a lot to process while nursing and caring for her mother and then ultimately losing her to cancer. As a mixed-race or hapa woman, she seemed to have lost her connection to her Korean heritage with the passing of her mother. But, food and music helped her reconnect with her remaining Korean family on a very intense level. 

As I know very little about Korean food or culture, this book was difficult for me as I am not familiar with the food or language at all. My husband is an ABC (American-born Chinese) so the Chinese culture and food are what I am more comfortable and familiar so I need to broaden my horizons. 

OVERALL REVIEW: 3.5 stars

Writing: 5.0 stars

The writing was very strong, most especially as a debut book. She is a young woman (34 years old) and her future writing will deepen and develop with a long career ahead of her, I truly believe. 

Character development: 3.0 stars

This book has two main female characters: Michelle (the author) and Chongmi (her mother). We do not learn much about Chongmi until after she passes and Michelle learns more about her as a young woman. Their relationship is tortured, but we really didn't learn why exactly. I still am not certain whether the issues were due to being raised in different countries or simply being different people. 

The secondary characters are Joel (her father) and Peter (her husband). Her father comes across as a very weak and dependent man and Peter comes across as a strong man who supports Michelle during this difficult time of her life. 

The tertiary characters are Michelle's Korean family, her in-laws, her friends, and the Korean community in Eugene, Oregon. 

Storyline:  3.0 stars 

This memoir is told chronologically with the appropriate flashbacks. However, it is written more like a novel than a memoir to me. Most especially, I wanted more about Chongmi's life in Korea. 

The main locations are primarily in New York City, New York; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Seoul, South Korea; and Eugene, Oregon. 

Memorable/Informative:  3.0 stars

Okay, I initially thought that this was a novel until the last few chapters when I realized that this was a memoir. Yes, I must have been under a rock. But, normally I do not read reviews about a book before I read it. Also, in my defense, this book came out during the pandemic when I was not reading at all. 

The biggest takeaway for me is that Korean food is spicy, fermented, and served blazing hot!

Book cover: 3.0 stars

Okay. 

Book title: 3.0 stars 

I don't get it. Was it a metaphor?

Recommend

EBOOK DETAILS

NetGalley ARC (ebook) 

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner 

243 pages

Knopf

Release date of 04/20/2021

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Michelle Zauner

My Goodreads review

Knopf

Los Angeles Public Library

Happy reading 📚! 

Dorothea 💜