If you decide to read Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner (which you absolutely should), get ready to cry right along with her. This book affected me deeply. Michelle’s reflections on a life with her mother cut short by cancer struck a chord right in my heart. The story starts off with her literally crying in her local H Mart, a Korean grocery store. This is the first of many connections to food and Korean cooking that are prevalent throughout the book- the remaining tie that tethers Michelle to her mother’s memory is food.
“Her art was the love that beat on in her loved ones, a contribution to the world that could be just as monumental as a song or a book.”
This memoir eases through Zauner’s memories and reality, seamlessly traveling back and forth between teenage fights, hospital stays, and life after her mom’s passing. I found this book to be healing while at the same time creating opportunities for deep reflection. Most of all, it made me want to hug my mom (don’t worry, I did).
“Mom, you were right.”
I laughed and I cried throughout this book, but one thing I didn’t expect going into it was to learn so much about Korean culture. I loved learning about Korea, Korean traditions, and the closeness of Michelle’s Korean family through the joy of cooking and eating Korean cuisine. For Michelle, learning to cook and prepare these dishes was something that both created a space for healing and a space for remembering her mother. It was a beautiful journey to read about.
As someone who is very close to my own mom, this was a heartbreaking story. However, it opened my eyes to small family moments that I should be more appreciative of and reminded me to count my blessings. I especially loved the wedding scene (sniff, sniff) and hearing about Michelle’s visits to Seoul.
If you have the chance to pick this book up, I urge you to do so! Even though it was only the second book I read in 2022, I have a feeling it will end up in my top five come December.
“I talked about how love was an action, an instinct, a response roused by unplanned moments and small gestures, an inconvenience in someone else’s favor.”
Rating: 5/5 jars of kimchi
xx, Lauren
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