Shoko's Smile, by Choi Eunyoung, is a collection of short stories exploring different women’s lives and how their relationships are complicated by personal struggles and political events. Eunyoung’s writing style allows her to paint her characters in a very fluid, organic way and their connections to other people are grief-ridden, intimate, and imperfect. One of my favorite features of these stories is how most contain a political backdrop, like mentions of the Sewol Sinking or Vietnam War. While politics are certainly an integral theme and raise interesting questions about Korean History, the stories instead focus on how people fare in the face of tragedy–how they carry themselves and navigate relationships while suffering through devastating events.
Each story contains such an emphatic, genuine display of human emotion that I was constantly struck by how real it all felt. While the moments depicted may seem insignificant or mundane at first glance, they reveal how small interactions can leave lasting impressions, both on interpersonal relationships and on people themselves. It’s a very sad book, and in addition to politics, another recurring theme is the loss of relationships. Many characters find their relationships broken or destroyed, either by the passing of time or their own mistakes. Despite the (sometimes overwhelming) theme of loss, Shoko’s smile is fundamentally about love; unrequited love, friendship, yearning and pining, love between grandmothers and mothers and daughters–all types of love that define our relationships and are experienced universally. Eunyoung’s blending of love and loss, and grief and joy create a moving story that captures the essence of human emotion in a scarily relatable way. This book definitely left a strong impression on me; I think about it often. I recommend it to anyone looking for an introspective book about flawed relationships and people!
Reviewed by Sam, Grade 10
Glendale Central Library
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