A Journey of Self-Discovery and Healing: My Experience Crying in H Mart

Fernanda: The way the author weaves food, traditions (frustrations with those traditions), her Korean culture, and the emergence of her identity during such a difficult time is beautiful.

United States on Nov 20, 2023

Kristin B: Michelle’s voice is incredible-I was hooked from the first few lines, feeling her grief and despair immediately. I often had to set it down because her words were so powerful but this is a memoir that will stay with me always. It is a beautiful and poignant tribute to the unbreakable bond between a mother and her daughter.

United States on Nov 11, 2023

Naveen BhatiaNaveen Bhatia: Like - It showcases emotions in different ways and that is very beautiful. The mother and daughter bond and the beautiful description of korean culture.

Dislike - In between it got a bit slow and boring so had to be patient and consistent very much.

Overall- Nice book

India on Nov 07, 2023

Bryan CareyBryan Carey: Growing up as one of the few kids who is different from everyone else can be difficult. It can be tough to fit in, and it can be a challenge for parents of such children to reign- in their child’s tendency to possibly become rebellious. Indie rock star Michelle Zauner knows what this feeling is like and it forms the basis of her memoir, Crying in H Mart.

What you get with this book is a memoir about a Korean American girl, growing up in Eugene, Oregon and trying to find her identity. The author struggles at times to communicate with her parents and extended family, while taking comfort in things that she and her Korean relatives can relate to, like food. In fact, this book is very much about food, with references to baking and creating familiar Korean food dishes found throughout the read.

The other important part of the book is the relationship the author had with her mother and how it developed from childhood through young adulthood. There were difficult times of understanding during her youth, which is common among most children. But the real test came later, when Zauner’s mother was diagnosed with cancer and had little time to live. Her attempts to reconcile...

United States on Oct 25, 2023

Jill Crossland: Vogue calls this book 'deeply necessary'; I raise that and also call it long overdue. Crying in H Mart doesn't use the over-analyzing, ponderous prose that so many books about cancer and death do; instead, it is refreshingly modern. Zauner skillfully takes us through her mother's diagnosis, the stages of her cancer and her eventual death. But she never loses touch with herself or gets swallowed whole by it all; instead, she somehow manages to grow personally and professionally.

While death is one of the worst things we face, it doesn't have to be all-consuming. Zauner channelled so many emotions as she prepared the meals of her Korean heritage and, in turn, shared this with her readers through a lyrical writing style.

We also learn about her fascinating extended family, fraught relationship with her father, rise as an indie rock musician, and the founding of Japanese Breakfast. Still, somehow, the book never overwhelms the reader.

Every culture deals with grief differently. People generalize that Europeans, particularly the British, are cold, especially in times of extreme sadness; this is far from true. There is nothing wrong with the fact that many of us...

Canada on Oct 25, 2023

Amazon Customer: Read it in one sitting , a wonderful read, evocative and moving, now going to try my hand at making kimchi !

United Kingdom on Oct 20, 2023

Cory and Ashley Colby: We cannot all identify as someone who struggles to feel accepted because we are culturally mixed but the realities expressed in this book about anxieties, misunderstandings, growing apart and back together again while also reflecting on the real meanings of life and relationships when crisis makes everything painfully clear. This book stirred me and made me reevaluate some things in my own reality and relationships, though I am passed the age of author at the time of the events in the stories she tells. This is a must-read by any standard and deserves every accolade it has received.

United States on Oct 16, 2023

Aline FerreiraAline Ferreira: Super excited to read this with my friends on our new book club. I ordered this book on prime day NEW hard cover but there’s definitely some damage to its sides. Maybe it was damaged while being shipped, little disappointed but fine!

United States on Oct 14, 2023

Amit: A debut novel. Emotional subject. Done too well. I prefer memoirs as they have the truthfulness, this struck thr chord perfect. Surely my second best novel, Shantaram will always be first!

India on Sep 24, 2023

Rachel: A foodie book that deals with grief and identity in a unique way. I laughed and cried along with Michelle. I’m passionate about food and found myself relating to Koreans’ appreciation for different tastes, and to Michelle’s struggle of belonging nowhere as a Korean American.

I have yet to experience this kind of grief but it has given me an understanding of what it is and what people around me must be going through. Thanks to the author for sharing her story with such authenticity, thoughtfulness and humour.

France on Aug 26, 2023