Crying in H Mart: A Book Review

There was no escaping this bright red cover which seemed to be on display at every book store I found myself in last year, and even Target had copies in stock (Target seems to always have an interesting selection of books in the stores- from NYT bestsellers to self-help books to Christian/Religious type books). I was drawn to the book (the copy I bought had noodles being held up by 2 pairs of chopsticks forming the letter "H" in part due to its popularity and good praises, but also because an H Mart was built a few blocks away from where I live and I had definitely enjoyed easier access to Korean & other asian groceries. The food court in the store was another bonus. 

Spoilers ahead if you haven't read the book! BLUF: 5/5 although some aspects of the book may not resonate for some readers. 

To be honest, reading the book was painful at times- I recognized my emotional pain at dealing with death and grief in my own life coming out in full swing when the author talked about her complicated relationship with her mother, Chongmi, which was further complicated by her mother's diagnosis of cancer. She talks about the challenges of not fitting in either culture she was in (as the Korean girl in her school in the US, and as the American girl when she visited family in Korea), as well as finding that the ways her mother would show and express love presented in a very different manner than the mothers of her childhood friends. 

The author, Michelle Zauner, seemed to struggle with her identity up until her 20s- not just her ethnic identity but her professional identity and trying to make a living while following her passion. It seemed that just as she was finding her groove with her music, her mother's health issue was eventually diagnosed as cancer. Her relationship with her boyfriend was now under tremendous pressure- they lived in the East Coast and her mother was back in the PNW. She becomes a caregiver for her mom but shares the roles and duties with some of her mother's friends, which adds to the author's challenges. If you read the first chapter, you know how the story ends- eventually Michelle's mother dies and Michelle is left to deal with her own grief and distant father and trying to figure out what her relationship with him is, could be, or will be. 

Her band, Japanese Breakfast, has been able to find a solid fanbase before Zauner published her memoir, and has continued to find further success and are playing at Coachella this year. The band's debut studio album cover is a photograph of Chongmi. I would imagine that writing this book helped Zauner with processing her loss and to also honor her mother's memory as well as her Korean heritage.