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