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Comments (128)

What did you think about this title?
1 to 25 of 128 items
Mar 18, 2024Rose_Kaur rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
Enjoyable, insightful and intricate. The opening packed a punch and got me hooked to the lives of the characters. I loved how the lives of the characters intertwined throughout the saga. Towards the end, I was less invested in the newer…
Mar 10, 2024dfischler1 rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Extraordinary family saga including the historical facts of the political and cultural situations on Korea and Japan
Feb 27, 2024lisnlearn rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
I really enjoyed Pachinko. The struggles and tragedies faced by the heroine, and her family, and their perseverance, reminded me of A Fine Balance. Lee has created a compelling tale that moves briskly.
Feb 04, 2024mmichelleng21 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Decent book about a multi generational Korean family. Lots of interesting and complex characters who are struggling to survive amidst Japanese colonization of Korea and displays the strength and grit of the characters. Good writing
Jan 20, 2024
I really enjoyed reading this family saga. My only complaints were that the ending was a little flat. The author should have included a glossary of Japanese/Korean words. I wonder what Japanese folks think of this novel too?
Jan 03, 2024txjourney rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Great book! An interesting view on how choice made by one generation ripple through the next.
Dec 11, 2023
recommended by Susan and Rachel
Dec 09, 2023
Re-read and completed for the 2nd time on 12/8/2023 for Mount Olive Book Club. They all really liked it! Hooray!
Nov 29, 2023betsymarzoni rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Covering four generations of Koreans striving to survive and to create more opportunity for their progeny, first in Korea, then in Japan, this interesting saga sheds a lot of light on the prejudices the Koreans faced (and face still).…
Oct 28, 2023franrichmond rated this title 0.5 out of 5 stars
I guess I don’t agree with many, I did not enjoy this book at all and would not be able to recommend it. I did not like all the way the children spoke to their mothers and so much of the language she used. She spoke very harsh. It was…
Oct 08, 2023
Andrea Rec
Sep 11, 2023kelseygood11 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
I listened to this audiobook and it was maybe one of the highlights of my reading year. An incredible family saga that give careful consideration of each generation and the changing times that it is raised in. This is a beautiful novel and…
Jul 19, 2023hlutke_6 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
in my humble opinion, it’s one of the best books ever.
Jul 17, 2023130Hill rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Rather fascinating for me...I learned things about Koreans in Japan I never even remotely knew about. Four stars because the later part of the book is more brutal in its modern themes (though circumstances earlier in the century were…
Jul 06, 2023vgkjosieg rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Not a book I’d normally reach for, but still worth reading. Definitely a page turner! As an Asian American and a child of a refugee, many of themes resonated with me. A bit heavy at times, and I have a feeling many of the stories &…
May 25, 2023cathyj_lee rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
May 25
Mar 22, 2023
Emotional and sweeping, this epic page-turner tackles the themes of family and finding home amidst tensions of Korea and Japan in the early 1900s. Through strong characterization and vivid imagery, this book will undoubtedly pull at one’s…
Mar 21, 2023Singflower rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Korea, before the wars, through till the division. I learned some things about Korea that surprised me. The power struggle, the corruption, the nearly utopian temptation of Communism, The loss of family, The displacement of a family, how…
Mar 09, 2023IndyPL_BethanyA rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Wow, I adored this book. It tells the story of a Korean family's journey over multiple decades, ranging from WWII into the 1980s. I learned so much about Korean and Japanese history, and enjoyed the richly written characters. Even…
Jan 23, 2023Librariesarerewarding rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Since reading the book, I have researched the Japanese invasion of Korea which was disturbing. Reading books always gives us an opportunity to inform one about happenings. The ending seems rushed. Thinking some people are so obsessed with…
Jan 22, 2023eriksbailey rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
What a tour de ˈforce. Like others said, engaging from beginning to end. Cried at the end because it entailed so much suffering and sadness and the same amount perseverance and strength from Sunja and those who circled her life.
Jan 09, 2023MADKC4Ever rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This book is quite an undertaking to pick up but it is so worth every single page! I couldn’t put it down and I’m so sad that it’s over. What a beautiful story. I learned so much about Korean and Japanese history and culture and the story…
Oct 03, 2022ClaudA rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Enjoyed the book, it is a page-turner. Recommend it! Freat book
Sep 27, 2022asemprit rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Completely engaging from the beginning to the end. Learned so much about Korean and Japanese history while reading it which really helps me to understand more about the cultural tensions between these two nationalities.
Sep 24, 2022sherrieodo rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
It was a long story but the characters are engaging and the layout of the storie is superb. Was fortunate to have lunched with Min Jinn Lee. She clarified that this story is a trilogy she is currently working on. Looking forward to next…