The debut novel from author Nancy Jooyoun Kim is a fascinating look at the life of one woman of Korean culture, her coming to the United States and having to forge a new life for herself after tragedy in South Korea. A splendid debut novel and if Nancy keeps writing books like this will be a force to watch out for in the future.
Margot Lee lives in Seattle and her mother Mina lives in LA. She has not talked to her too much in the last few months. She’s going to be in town and plans to visit her mother. She’s not answering the phone calls she makes. When she gets to her apartment she finds her dead. It’s ruled an accidental death.
As Margot starts cleaning out the apartment she finds things that peak her curiosity. It seems her mother had many secrets that Margot never knew about. She thinks her mother’s death was no accident and she starts investigating. What she finds out will shock her as she learns about her father (she never knew who he was), her mother’s secret lover and what really happened to her the night she died.
The story goes back and forth between present and the past as follow Mina Lee’s live from the time she arrived in the US to the night she died. It’s a story you don’t want to put down.
You can pick up The Last Story Of Mina Lee in stores on Tuesday, September 8th from Park Row books.
