*Tear Warning*
Given the title, it shouldn’t be a shock that this is a memoir that pulls at your heart. Michelle Zauner is a founding member of a band called Japanese Breakfast (she’s Korean, that’s a big part of the book so don’t get confused), but before she found success in music, she was an only-child who spent most of her life in the outskirts of Eugene, Oregon with the constant and undivided attention of her mother.
Crying in H-Mart is a vulnerable and open account of Zauner’s relationship with her parents, their mutual love and exploration of food, especially Korean cuisine, and how cancer forced them to confront a reality that had already dealt a heavy toll on their family twice before. Zauner does not paint an idealized picture of her relationship with her mother but rather dives into the frustration, the idolization, the love, the expectations, and the bonds that shaped their relationship. Crying in H-Mart is a love letter: a love letter to food and the way it forms generational bonds, to native cultures and the significance of belonging, and to mother-daughter relationships, however tumultuous at times they may be.
I was recently challenged with the notion that reading sad books was like watching horror movies: intentionally partaking in an activity knowing the emotion it will invoke. While an intriguing point, I believe the difference is that sad books, unlike horror/suspense movies, have depth and wisdom to impart along with the sadness; they are vessels that make us think and process and learn through someone else’s experience. So with that in mind, I would challenge you to read it, even if your first reaction upon reading the title was to shy away. I think there’s something beautiful and important from seeing how someone honors their loved ones and processes loss.
2% Rating: 8.5/10
Recommend? Yes
Re-Read? Maybe
Time: 1:46