The Little Leaflet on “Crying in H Mart: A Memoir”, by Michelle Zauner
Michelle Zauner’s “Crying in H Mart” takes readers on a journey of grief, identity, and the love for food in this touching memoir.
In “Crying in H Mart: A Memoir,” Michelle Zauner takes us through her life’s most challenging moments with a raw, poignant honesty. Born to a Korean mother and a Jewish-American father, Michelle grapples with her mixed-race identity, the complexity of her family relationships, and her mother’s terminal illness, using food and music as a lens to navigate these turbulent times.
The book opens with Zauner in the titular H Mart, a Korean grocery store chain in America, where the abundance of familiar foods plunges her into a pool of memories and longing. She takes the reader through her mother’s Korean cooking, explaining how food was their shared language, a means of communication that bridged cultural and generational gaps.
Each chapter is doused with Zauner’s visceral descriptions of Korean cuisine, so much so that you can almost taste the dishes. She describes her mom’s doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew), which was a staple at their family dinners, with such vividness that it’s almost as if you’re sitting at their kitchen table.
Zauner also delves into her tumultuous relationship with her mother, Chongmi. Although their bond was often strained due to cultural and generational differences, Zauner’s love and longing for her mother is palpable in every page of this memoir. The book does a beautiful job of portraying this complex relationship in its truest form — painful, loving, frustrating, and endlessly complicated.
The memoir also recounts her journey as an indie rock musician. Known as the face of the band Japanese Breakfast, Zauner’s music career weaves itself into the narrative, acting as a backdrop to her personal struggles and triumphs.
In sharing her experiences with grief, Zauner delivers a candid and touching portrait of loss. Her words allow readers to empathize with her, and in doing so, may even find comfort in their own experiences with grief and loss.
Despite the heavy topics it deals with, “Crying in H Mart” is punctuated with moments of levity. Zauner’s humor and wit shine through, offering readers a reprieve from the memoir’s intense emotional landscape. Her love for food, music, and her mother are the heartbeats that pulse through every page, making for an enriching reading experience.
Perhaps what makes “Crying in H Mart” so compelling is its universality. Although it’s deeply rooted in Zauner’s Korean-American experience, the memoir resonates on a human level. It delves into themes that we all grapple with — identity, belonging, love, and loss.
“Crying in H Mart” serves as a poignant exploration of what it means to lose a loved one and find oneself in the process. It’s a powerful testament to the enduring strength of love, and the healing power of food and music.
Summary
“Crying in H Mart” is a touching memoir that transcends culture and generation. Through the lens of food and music, Michelle Zauner offers readers a raw and honest look into her life, her relationship with her mother, and her journey through grief. Despite its heavy subject matter, it’s a compelling read that leaves you with a profound understanding of love, loss, and the power of memory.
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