Crying in H Mart

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner is a compelling and heart-wrenching memoir that delves into the depths of identity, grief, and family. This powerful narrative chronicles Zauner's life as she navigates the complexities of growing up mixed-race, grappling with the loss of her Korean mother to cancer, and ultimately reclaiming her cultural roots through the lens of food and cooking.

Michelle Zauner, the acclaimed indie rockstar of the band Japanese Breakfast, invites readers into her world with an unflinchingly honest and profoundly moving account. Born in Seoul and raised in Eugene, Oregon, Zauner recounts the struggles and triumphs of being the only Asian-American student in her school. She reflects on her difficult adolescence marked by her mother's high standards and the solace she found during visits to her grandmother's small apartment in Seoul, bonding over heaping plates of delicious Korean dishes late into the night.

As Zauner comes of age, she moves to the east coast for college, discovering her passion for music and food, and meeting the man who would become her husband. Despite the distance from her familial roots, her mother's diagnosis of terminal pancreatic cancer at twenty-five forces a profound reckoning with her identity. Through this painful journey, Zauner learns to cherish and reclaim the cultural heritage—taste, language, and history—imparted by her mother.

Vivacious and plainspoken, lyrical and honest, Michelle Zauner's voice resonates deeply both on the page and onstage. The memoir is rich with intimate anecdotes and vivid descriptions of Korean delicacies such as jjigae, tteokbokki, pajeon, jatjuk, and gimbap. These culinary moments are tokens of the all-encompassing love between Zauner and her mother, depicted with a heartfelt authenticity that brings readers into the intimacy of her family kitchen.

Barack Obama listed Crying in H Mart as one of his favourite books of 2021, and it's easy to see why. Michelle Zauner's memoir is a book to cherish, share, and reread, offering an essential read for anyone who has lost a loved one or is navigating their own path of self-discovery.

Praise for Crying in H Mart

"Michelle Zauner's Crying In H Mart is as good as everyone says it is and, yes, it will have you in tears. An essential read for anybody who has lost a loved one, as well as those who haven't." - Marie-Claire

"The book's descriptions of jjigae, tteokbokki, and other Korean delicacies stand out as tokens of the deep, all-encompassing love between Zauner and her mother, a love that is charted in vivid descriptions of her mother after death; in a time when people around the world are reckoning with untold loss due to COVID-19, Zauner's frankness around death feels like an unexpected yet deeply necessary gift." - Vogue

"Zauner's writing is powerful in its straightforwardness, though some turns of phrases are as beautiful as any song lyric... but it is her ability to convey how her mother's simple offering of a rice snack was actually an act of the truest love that leaves the most indelible impression." - Refinery 29

"Poignant... A tender, well-rendered, heart-wrenching account of the way food ties us to those who have passed. The author delivers mouthwatering descriptions of dishes like pajeon, jatjuk, and gimbap, and her storytelling is fluid, honest, and intimate... Zauner's ability to let us in through taste makes her book stand out—she makes us feel like we are in her mother's kitchen, singing her praises." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)