Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

Crying in H Mart

Subtitle: A Memoir

Author: Michelle Zauner

Genre: Memoir

Format: Physical purchase

Publish Date: April 2021

Read: March 2024

Favorite Quote: Life is unfair, and sometimes it helps to irrationally blame someone for it.

Synopsis: Just as Michelle Zauner is maybe finally figuring out life, her mother gets a diagnosis that changes everything. Zauner goes from living in Philadelphia on her own to moving back in with her parents in Eugene, Oregon. Through her mother’s decline, Zauner works to better understand her Korean heritage through food and family while also being forced to grow up and face grief.

Why does this book beguile? I’ve been hearing about Crying in H Mart since it made a splash when published. The memoir is easy to read, and I appreciate how Zauner spent a lot of time talking around grief rather than directly about it. The grieving process is rarely something one can face head-on, barrel through, and say, “Yep, I’m done grieving now.” Crying in H Mart reflects that meandering and surprising process through what triggers tears and how complicated a mother-daughter relationship is.

Rating: 4/5

Link*: Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

If you’re interested in this, read*: Cacophony of Bone by Kerri ní Dochartaigh also Eat a Peach by David Chang