Stoicism, not crying, in H Mart - by Sungjoo Yoon

In 2021, author and musician Michelle Zauner wrote her debut memoir Crying in H Mart. It was an incredible commercial success. The week it was published, it climbed to #2 on the New York Times’ best-seller list. It went up to #1 the following week, and stayed on the board for 67 consecutive weeks. Critics could not get enough of it. Obama called it one of his favorite books of the year. It has since become a defining work on Korean American identity. For those that haven’t read it, this is the summary from Blinkist: Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner is a poignant memoir about growing up Korean American, losing her mother to cancer, and finding solace in food. It is a heartfelt exploration of grief, identity, and the power of cultural connection. Here is my attempt at a slightly longer synopsis. The book begins with the titular scene of Zauner crying in H Mart, America’s premier Korean supermarket. She cries because her mother has passed away, and she feels an overwhelming cultural co

In 2021, author and musician Michelle Zauner wrote her debut memoir Crying in H Mart. It was an incredible commercial success. The week it was published, it climbed to #2 on the New York Times’ best-seller list. It went up to #1 the following week, and stayed on the board for 67 consecutive weeks. Critics could not get enough of it. Obama called it one of his favorite books of the year. It has since become a defining work on Korean American identity. For those that haven’t read it, this is the summary from Blinkist: Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner is a poignant memoir about growing up Kore