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Nancy Jooyoun Kim

The Last Story of Mina Lee

Large Brand New Paperback

Reminiscent of Celeste Ng’s page-turning meditations on identity, this searing mother-daughter story explores the diverse and unsettling realities of being an immigrant in America.

Margot Lee’s mother is ignoring her calls. Margot cannot understand why, until she makes a surprise trip home to Koreatown, LA. What she finds there makes her realise how little she knows about her mother, Mina.

Thirty years earlier, Mina Lee steps off a plane to take a chance on a new life in America. Stacking shelves at a Korean grocery store, the last thing she expects is to fall in love. But that moment will have shattering consequences for Mina, and everything she left behind in Seoul.

Through the intimate lens of a mother and daughter who have struggled all their lives to understand each other, Margot and Mina’s story unravels the unspoken secrets that can drive two people apart – or perhaps bind them closer together.

Book type: Large Brand new paperback.

Condition: Excellent.
Cover image: For illustration purposes only. Some details may differ.
Notes: This book is brand new and should arrive in perfect condition.

$32.99 $18.99

Out of stock

More Information & Critical Reviews

Nancy Jooyoun Kim is a graduate of UCLA and the University of Washington, Seattle. Her essays and short fiction have appeared in the Los Angeles Review of Books, Guernica, NPR/PRI’s Selected Shorts, The Rumpus, Electric Literature, Asian American Writers’ Workshop’s The Margins, The Offing, and elsewhere. The Last Story of Mina Lee is her first novel. She was born and raised in Los Angeles.

‘A timely, important novel… Fans of Celeste Ng won’t be able to put down this heartfelt, cross-generational novel about the powerful bond and fragility of family and what it really means to strive for the “American dream.’ Popsugar

‘The book, delicately understated in style, offers lessons in racism from the viewpoints of both mother and daughter. But the matter of tracking Mina’s killer provides a steady stream of pure sleuthing that is authentic and persuasive.’ Toronto Star

‘The plotline smoothly shifts from the present to the past and back as Mina’s stories pull us into life in Koreatown… a sensitive and moving family saga.’ Mystery Scene Magazine

‘Kim has a gift for page-turning plot…. A moving tale of a mother and daughter finding each other, a reunion made all the more poignant by coming too late.’ Seattle Times

‘A moving look at what immigrants to America go through before their journey and what they lose upon arrival, and how their American children can be caught between worlds.’ Alyssa Cole, CrimeReads

‘Haunting and heartbreaking, troubled threads between a mother and daughter blend together in a delicate and rich weave… With both sadness and beauty, Kim describes grief, regret, loss, and the feeling of being left behind. Fans of Amy Tan and Kristin Hannah will love Kim’s brilliant debut.’ Booklist, STARRED review

 

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Available Format

Large Brand New Paperback

Book Author

Nancy Jooyoun Kim

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