Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⬜
Title: Crying In H Mart
Author: Michelle Zauner
Genre: Memoir / Nonfiction
Setting: Oregon / Korea / NYC / Pennsylvania
Month Read: February 2022
Book Type: Hardcover
Publication: 2021
Publisher: Knopf
Pages: 239
*Book of the Month Pick / February 2022 Books and Brews Book Club Selection
TRIGGER WARNING-
Grief / Death / Cancer / Alcoholism
"Love was an action, an instinct, a response roused by unplanned moments and small gestures, an inconvenience in someone else’s favor."
No Spoiler Summary:
Crying In H Mart is a Memoir by Michelle Zauner (aka Japanese Breakfast) chronicling the relationship she has, and had, with her Mother who died of cancer when Michelle was in her mid 20's.
Michelle tells the story with food, heritage, and family- while talking about the experiences she had being Half White/ Half Korean, and how losing her Mother has helped her explore her Korean side to try to keep it a part of her now that her Mother is no longer here.
Review:
I am not someone who typically likes non-fiction, and I was skeptical about someone writing a memoir when they're my age, but this book was incredibly beautiful. It's less memoir in some ways, and more an absolute gorgeous story of Mom & Daughter- through happiness, sadness, awful teenage years, and more. It's also a story of finding parts of yourself, your heritage, your family, and how all of these things morph together to make YOU.
Parts of this book made me cry, while parts made me laugh, and while some made me frustrated (both for Michelle and for her Mom.) Reading this book as a newer Mom really resonated with me, but being the black sheep, and the musician of my family had me relating to Michelle and her struggles and achievements as well. It was such an interesting place to read this book in.
My one complaint, which isn't really a complaint is I wanted recipes! Where are they!? SO much of this book is almost endless talking about food, and about a relationship with food, and I do wish Michelle did include at least one recipe- one thing we could have made reading this, or shortly after, to sort of bring ourselves more into this novel, and into her life. I know I can look online and get whatever I need, but I do think including at least one recipe would have leveled this book up even more.
I maybe wouldn't read this if you've recently lost someone, but maybe it will help you heal. I think it's such a beautiful story, and I took so much out of it by the time I was done. I wish Michelle so much good in her life, and I'm really excited to dive into her music. I also truly hopes she writes more, some of the passages were incredibly beautiful, and she has a great voice.
Recommendation:
Memoirs and Biographies:
Miss O'Dell: My Hard Days and Long Nights with the Beatles, the Stones, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton and the Women They Loved by Chris O'Dell
Gwen Stefani and No Doubt: A Simple Kind of Life by Jeff Apter
Love, Janis by Laura Joplin
Buried Alive: The Biography of Janis Joplin by Myra Friedman
Jim Morrison: Life, Death, Legend by Stephen Davis
No One Here Gets Out Alive by Danny Sugarman & Jerry Hopkins
"To be a loving mother was to be known for a service, but to be a lovely mother was to possess a charm all your own."
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