Pachinko (National Book Award Finalist)

Jackie.Davidson shared a tip "I love stories that span generations and this one had a new-to-me cultural aspect of Koreans trying to carve out a life in Japan from around the time of WW2."

danielle_henry_6987 shared a tip "The most moving, interesting, and deeply sad book I’ve read this year. I can’t wait to watch the AppleTV adaptation of it later this month."

emily_alwubayran shared a tip "Incredibly moving and thought provoking. This is the kind of story that makes you want to call your parents. For anyone interested in historical fiction, this is a must read!"

natalie_brooke_1302 shared a tip "Beautiful captivating story that spans across 4 generations. I usually don't like stories that switch between characters but this author did it exceptionally well."

kailin_lu shared a tip "Incredible. Felt like binge watching a great show where each episode just flows into the next and before you know it you’ve watched 5 seasons. Tons of relevant historical & cultural context."

jaq_gaeta shared a tip "Lovely book. So heartwrenching. Lots of memorable dialogue and characters. It never gets old. Read this at least 3 times already. I cry every time. Really makes the point that life is change."

sadie_pennell shared a tip "I’m honestly not sure what to say other than this is an incredible story. It’s just incredible. This story spans decades and generations, immersing you completely in the times. Along with the characters you become deeply invested in, whether it be your love for them or hate for them, the way they age and grow, rise and fall..I also was just so floored with the gorgeous way the story carried and how as years pass and decades change, the author paints the picture of each time in history. Just wow."

mary_howard_blackbu shared a tip "Loved this book. It was so sad. Lee Min Ho will be playing the lead male character in the Apple movie that just finished filming."

maryzb23 shared a tip "About Koreans Living in Japan before, during and after WW2, and the hardships they faced! Mostly about the love of a mother and family and the lengths they will go to protect their own!"

gail_cutter shared a tip "Vast and absorbing. Min Jin Lee is a beautiful, evocative writer. I highly recommend her first book, too: Free Food for Millionaires."

erica_848 shared a tip "I hadn’t planned on reading this book but once I picked it up I couldn’t put it down. This epic history is compelling and woven together so well. I’d definitely recommend it!"

janet_chipman shared a tip "@debra_wolf If you like historical fiction, give it a try! I felt a handful of emotions reading this. I learned a lot about living in that part of the world through difficult times. The descriptions are great it’s just a little long. It’s not a waste of time, but it does take a bit of patience."

natasha_renee_5645 shared a tip "Great read. A family saga that covers decades. The characters are so well created. You get really attached to them over the course of this novel."

joie_ng shared a tip "My heart hurts, my mind hurts, I cried. 13/10 if you like suffering, especially if you are of Asian descent, it hits home too hard."

cat_moon shared a tip "Truly amazing, I couldn't put the book down. Min Jin Lee's omniscient pov gave each of her beautifully fleshed out characters justice and empathy in a way I wish more authors would."

shelby_dietrich_ shared a tip "It was an amazing book. For someone who loves history, it was really fun to learn about what happened in the past from the perspective of the character sunja."

amanda_rinehardt shared a tip "A heart-wrenching tale that follows multi-generational hardships, with a jarring difference between the carefree attitudes of youth and the world-worn exhausting of the giant shoulders they stand upon."

m_hendrix shared a tip "The life choices and settings of this story (from Sunja's hometown, to immigration to Japan from Korea in the early-mid 1900s) build a beautiful, painful, and enduring set of realities. These realities are seen through the complexities of different cultures, in different time periods, with different characters in different places of society through the roles and choices of their lives. A great mix of both the universally understandable and things we might have never known about."

ramin_tabibzadeh shared a tip "Delightful to read. Had very minimal knowledge of the Japanese and Korean cultures and their relationship in the past 100 years."

jacquline_garcia shared a tip "Great book a bit if a tear jerker. You really feel for the characters you see them grow and feel the hardship and all the love sitting this family also talks about historical facts throughout the story"

knell_west shared a tip "Long duree novel, that allows a reader to see the characters grow and change over long swaths of time. Beautifully structured. Spare and direct language"

raine_lipscher shared a tip "Just finished reading this book! Was so beautifully written and authentic to a real family and it’s struggles. Heartbreaking at points but still really good."

ana_cabrera_4235 shared a tip "Beautifully written story about a Korean family who perseveres against the backdrop of a history that never seems to favor them. You are hooked from the beginning, constantly rooting for the characters’ success and suffering through each of their heartbreaks. I have learned and reflected a lot through this novel, and I quite honestly could not put it down until the end, which left me wanting to know more."

sonia_vazquez shared a tip "so good!! 10/10 could not say better things about it - i loved the interwoven narratives and how each family and story played off each other"

priya_691 shared a tip "Definitely my favorite book so far! Min Jin lee did a wonderful job at creating characters that really stick with you. Very interesting to learn about that history in a way that just feels like fiction. Already miss all the characters.😭 10/10 recommend!"