The author of Pachinko offers once again a penetrating, introspective look at a family straddling Korea, Australia, and the US in its pursuit of the best education/best life for their three children.
“American Hagwon is an immersive, engrossing novel. As the Koh family, brilliantly imagined by Min Jin Lee, moves between South Korea, Australia and California, they each have a fierce and fascinating individuality. This is panorama told in brilliant detail.”―Colm Toibin, author of The Master and Brooklyn
“Through masterfully controlled storytelling, Lee patiently explores how her large group of characters’ fortunes are shaped by forces from without and within: the powerful lure of sex, the sucking vacuum of greed, the insidiousness of racism, the obligations between parents and children. What makes a good life? The author’s wisdom is a gift to her readers.”―Kirkus Reviews (starred)
“I love American Hagwon so much. Min Jin Lee is phenomenally the real thing. I was completely not ready for the brilliance of this book and the way she captured the essence of so many of our lived experiences through the members of the Koh family. I read huge swaths of this book with my heart in my throat and found myself cheering. This book is brilliant.”―Jacqueline Woodson, author of Red at the Bone and Brown Girl Dreaming, winner of the National Book Award
“Min Jin Lee delivers a masterpiece of contemporary intergenerational storytelling…From Seoul to Sydney to Southern California, the storyline explores the intimate, familial, and cultural changes that affect a family and its communities…Intensely compelling with lovingly crafted character arcs, Lee’s latest cements her place in the literary pantheon.”―Library Journal (starred)
