Crying in H Mart, by Michelle Zauner
In a heartfelt memoir, Crying in H Mart, by Michelle Zauner, is about grief, family, love, and food, Michelle Zauner– also known as Korean-American artist Japanese Breakfast– recounts moments of her life as an Asian-American growing up in Oregon, and also having to live up to her mother's high expectations. Following her life as she grows up, a jarring diagnosis brings Zauner back to her mother, where she deals with her lost Korean identity, reclaiming it through her moments with food, language, and her mother's love.
As a Korean-American, this
book was amazing and spoke to the experiences we go through in an excellent
showcase of storytelling. I caught myself crying at many moments, relating to
Zauner's vulnerability and connection to her Korean identity through the food
she ate.
In particular, I understood the experience of having to grow up in an Asian household that always expected more of me, asking me to toughen up because our mother's love wasn't one of coddling or words of comfort. But Zauner's way of describing dishes that I also grew up with, and how closely we tie our identities to the wisdom of our mothers was the most relatable thing to me: it was heartbreaking, realizing that without our mothers, who were we?
Watching Zauner's journey through her grief, perseverance, and eventual contentment was one that brings the reader on a rollercoaster of emotions, with the reader able to heavily empathize with her experiences as well. Overall, as a huge fan of Japanese Breakfast and now a reader of Michelle Zauner, I recommend this book to any person of color– particularly those of Asian descent– to give Crying in H Mart a read.
We are all connected by nature to our cultures, and Zauner's ability to weave an unspoken connection between food, familial love, and grief is an experience all must indulge in.
In particular, I understood the experience of having to grow up in an Asian household that always expected more of me, asking me to toughen up because our mother's love wasn't one of coddling or words of comfort. But Zauner's way of describing dishes that I also grew up with, and how closely we tie our identities to the wisdom of our mothers was the most relatable thing to me: it was heartbreaking, realizing that without our mothers, who were we?
Watching Zauner's journey through her grief, perseverance, and eventual contentment was one that brings the reader on a rollercoaster of emotions, with the reader able to heavily empathize with her experiences as well. Overall, as a huge fan of Japanese Breakfast and now a reader of Michelle Zauner, I recommend this book to any person of color– particularly those of Asian descent– to give Crying in H Mart a read.
We are all connected by nature to our cultures, and Zauner's ability to weave an unspoken connection between food, familial love, and grief is an experience all must indulge in.
Reviewed by M.L., Grade 12
Montrose Library
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