Review [English version]: Crying in H Mart

     by: Nabila Rhapsodios 

PRODUCT INFO

Title: Crying in H Mart

Author(s): Michelle Zauner

Publisher: Penguin Random House

Language: English

Year Published: 2023

Page(s) Number: 256

PROLOGUE

Michelle Zauner

Michelle Zauner, famously known as the lead vocalist of the indie pop band Japanese Breakfast, has written a memoir titled Crying in H Mart. Korean food is essential to any individual who was born and raised in Korea, and it is Michelle's mother's task to introduce it to her daughter so Michelle will never forget half of her roots. However, most of the alluring memories for me are not about the explanation of Korean food, but the complex mother-daughter relationship. From telling about Michelle's parents' background, to Michelle tumultuous teenage years which upset her mother to a some degree, to her vulnerabilities when discussing her biracial identities in the States and Korea, to her struggles as a musician which a career that her mother disapprove of at first, to her new role as caretaker to her ill mother, and to her proclictioned to cooking Korean cuisine as a way to cope after her dear mother's passing when she was 25. 

MY IMPRESSION

The story of Michelle's upbringing and relationship with her mother was so fascinating, heartbreaking, and inspiring at the same time. I teared up more than once.  I'm pretty sure that the relationship between mother and daughter in this memoir inspires some people to lead a life they want to lead, rather than one built on others' expectations. It encourages anybody to follow their dreams, no matter how daunting the prospect may be.

While I appreciated the good writing and storyline, I'd have appreciated the memoir more if Michelle had toned down the frankness in her descriptions and analogies of Korean food, as they were too much for me, which made the book a poor "memoir slash food book" rather than a story about a wholly unbreakable mother-daughter relationship. The food field turned me off more than anything else. Made it impossible for me to connect to what exactly the food was.

Overall, this memoir wasn't a thrilling page-turner, and it didn't blow me away. Yet, Michelle has a knack for telling a very personal story in a way that feels human and compelling. Readers will find themselves reflected somewhere in her lyrical words. I know I did. Crying in H Mart is 8.1 out of 10. I recommend this memoir to anyone who is grieving the loss of a loved one and enjoys Korean cuisine.

-FIN-

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