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aksmith92's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.5
I don't really love rating memoirs—these books are when humans talk about their lives, the people in them, and usually challenging events. Memoirs usually do or do not do it for me in terms of a great reading experience, and Crying in H Mart did it for me.
Michelle Zauner talks about her upbringing in this memoir—she's living a decent life and recognizes that, but somehow does not get along super well with her parents, particularly her mom. I don't know about you, but as a teenage girl once, this was highly relatable.
More importantly, though, this memoir talks about Michelle's identity as a half-Korean woman, trying to find solstice and being in the food she grew up hearing about and/or eating. She struggles regularly with her identity since she barely speaks the Korean language and only visits Korea every so often. And most important, this book is about dealing with grief and, acknowledging and accepting your past, and moving on from it during traumatic times. There is no mystery or spoiler here: Michelle talks about her family's experience with her mother's cancer diagnosis.
Michelle feels real in this book. She makes decisions you question and doesn't always know the answer. However, the heart in this book is so apparent, and it is simply moving. Not to mention all the incredible references to Korean recipes—this was SO good to add.
I do feel the 50-70% dragged just a little bit, but overall, this was an incredibly captivating story about a woman finding her own identity in massive grief while leaning on some of the most amazing food recipes she can to feel in her place and with her family. Highly recommend this memoir!
Michelle Zauner talks about her upbringing in this memoir—she's living a decent life and recognizes that, but somehow does not get along super well with her parents, particularly her mom. I don't know about you, but as a teenage girl once, this was highly relatable.
More importantly, though, this memoir talks about Michelle's identity as a half-Korean woman, trying to find solstice and being in the food she grew up hearing about and/or eating. She struggles regularly with her identity since she barely speaks the Korean language and only visits Korea every so often. And most important, this book is about dealing with grief and, acknowledging and accepting your past, and moving on from it during traumatic times. There is no mystery or spoiler here: Michelle talks about her family's experience with her mother's cancer diagnosis.
Michelle feels real in this book. She makes decisions you question and doesn't always know the answer. However, the heart in this book is so apparent, and it is simply moving. Not to mention all the incredible references to Korean recipes—this was SO good to add.
I do feel the 50-70% dragged just a little bit, but overall, this was an incredibly captivating story about a woman finding her own identity in massive grief while leaning on some of the most amazing food recipes she can to feel in her place and with her family. Highly recommend this memoir!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Body shaming, Cancer, Cursing, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Racism, Medical content, and Car accident
Moderate: Abortion, Alcohol, and Fatphobia
Minor: Addiction
Addiction = not described, but talked about when describing someone's past. Also implied with a potential alcohol addiction.shreyapandey13's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
3.5
🍜 This book feels like sitting in a pair of comfortable pajamas after a long day at work and sobbing uncontrollably because you're just so exhausted, so completely alone and sad, and trying to push some of that pain away by stuffing your face with a hot bowl of extra spicy ramen, which happens to be your comfort food
♥️ I was hooked from the very first page, which offered a very touching imagery of a girl feeling lost and out of place in H Mart, a Korean supermart chain in America. She's recently lost her mother and being in this space, alone for the first time and unable to navigate her Koreanness finally triggers an avalanche of emotion.
📚 What follows is touching journey through her past as she tells us about herself, her mother, and the relationship they shared. She talks about her sense of self, how she spent the longest time trying to fit into the idea of being an American, a decidedly white identity, only to find herself unmoored and chasing to understand and embody her Korean heritage.
💫 The book is very honest, too honest at times. It does not beat around the bush and addresses a spectrum of human emotions head on. Its beautifully depicts such nuanced emotions that often tends to get lost as we move from one activity to another in life. The way the author spoke of her mother—a mixture of frustration, admiration and honest hurt along with a deep, deep love—hit close to home. Any girl who has had a slightly dysfunctional relationship with her mother would relate.
🌸 The author's conversation around food and how closely it's tied to memories, to culture, and one's identity will give you a pause and make you think. It will make you want to go back and remember every important meal you've had since your childhood and how much we take the comfort it brings for granted
✨ The book moved me to tears several times and made me want to start writing a memoir too—just so I could remember everything about the people I care about.
♥️ I was hooked from the very first page, which offered a very touching imagery of a girl feeling lost and out of place in H Mart, a Korean supermart chain in America. She's recently lost her mother and being in this space, alone for the first time and unable to navigate her Koreanness finally triggers an avalanche of emotion.
📚 What follows is touching journey through her past as she tells us about herself, her mother, and the relationship they shared. She talks about her sense of self, how she spent the longest time trying to fit into the idea of being an American, a decidedly white identity, only to find herself unmoored and chasing to understand and embody her Korean heritage.
💫 The book is very honest, too honest at times. It does not beat around the bush and addresses a spectrum of human emotions head on. Its beautifully depicts such nuanced emotions that often tends to get lost as we move from one activity to another in life. The way the author spoke of her mother—a mixture of frustration, admiration and honest hurt along with a deep, deep love—hit close to home. Any girl who has had a slightly dysfunctional relationship with her mother would relate.
🌸 The author's conversation around food and how closely it's tied to memories, to culture, and one's identity will give you a pause and make you think. It will make you want to go back and remember every important meal you've had since your childhood and how much we take the comfort it brings for granted
✨ The book moved me to tears several times and made me want to start writing a memoir too—just so I could remember everything about the people I care about.
kokechii's review
4.0
Somehow reading this felt like hearing things about another person that you should have never heard, but at the end you are glad you did, in a way. Deeply personal and moving. It will make you think about your mom and loss, so get ready to get emotional.
miiillia's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.5
Loved the insight into their complicated yet lovely mother daughter relationship and how Michelle’s own Korean identity plays a role in finding the connection back to her mom during her battle with disease as well ad after her passing.
toshiro_toshi's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.25