I never know how to start book reviews. I can do the middle paragraphs because that part is easy. Just giving you a brief summary of the book that might have you interested in reading it even if I didn’t like. Gotta sell you the story. Then the last paragraph is incredibly easy. It’s me voicing my opinion on the book, and let’s face it, I am a slightly opinionated person and not really afraid to say what I think because we all are allowed our own opinions. Even if they may be wrong. Joking, joking, joking please realize I am just a sarcastic person and don’t mean that. But introductions are difficult. It’s your time to grab your readers attention so they keep reading! And yeah you’re probably like Meghan we know what an introduction is. Work with me people! And there we have it. My introduction.
Well that painful part is over. Book description. The Last Story of Mina Lee follows the life of a mom and daughter who have such a strong culture divide between them that they never truly understood each other. Mina Lee is a Korean immigrant living in LA who has lost everyone she loved before moving to the United States. Throughout the story you learn about her background and also the difficulties she faced in a new country where she didn’t speak the language, had no money and knew only one other person. Trying to get by and make a life for her and her daughter, Margot. Margot Lee is a young woman living in Seattle trying to figure out her life (Ha same). Growing up she never really understood her mother and why she did certain things. With a mother who knows little English and a daughter who refuses to speak in Korean it creates a huge divide between them.
After not hearing from her mother during their regular phone calls, Margot heads down to LA to check on her and make sure everything is ok. Only to find that when she gets to her mother’s apartment, her mother has passed away. Wanting to understand what happened to her mother before she died, she starts learning different things about her and realizes that she never truly knew who Mina Lee was and all that her mother did for her.
In the end though this book was just ok. It was rather slow throughout most of it and dragged on. Though it’s a great mother daughter story and had some solid points, it wasn’t enough for me to be like wow everyone needs to read this right now. Just kind of boring. It was one of Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club Recommendations if that helps influence you to read it.
Until Next Time, The Library Abroad
Photo Credit: https://bookclubchat.com/books/book-club-questions-for-the-last-story-of-mina-lee-by-nancy-jooyoun-kim/
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