Comment

Feb 02, 2018
I chose this book for several reasons. One, it was nominated for the 2017 National Book Award. Second, it's a family saga, and family sagas are a genre I tend to gravitate towards. Lastly, I like reading to learn about other cultures, and Pachinko is about a Korean family who immigrates to Japan. I was spellbound from the first few pages, which reminded me of Steinbeck or of The Good Earth by Pearl Buck. A little ways in, because I have a big hands on project in the works, I switched to the audiobook. It was just as captivating. I really grew attached to these well developed characters, and also learned lots that I hadn't known about Korean culture, WWII and the Korean war, and especially, the plight or Korean immigrants in Japan. This book requires some commitment, as it's lengthy, but it's really well crafted and worth the time. And, perhaps, timely, given the 2018 Olympics!