Book Review: Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

For me the title speaks a thousand words, I always felt the sense of remembering the times spent with my mother in supermarkets, and sometimes when I shop alone, I always feel a bit of sadness of not having my mother beside me. Every time I thought about it, I cried.

I didn’t know the memoir was going to be so painful. It speaks to you about losing someone as dear to you as your parents. Their struggle to keep you happy and satisfied throughout your life is the reason for this. A 25-year-old Korean American woman, Michelle Zauner, also known as Japanese Breakfast, has lost her mother to cancer and is dealing with an abusive father, making this story very heartbreaking.

During her childhood, Michelle Zauner experienced a different childhood than other American children. Additionally, she shares her mother’s love of food. As it was the only thing her parents really loved, she also talks about how happy she was to have that experience. It was their intention to teach her the same thing. As well as showing how she had to be what she wanted to be, likewise how she loved her mother’s life. It was like growing up in South Korea. Also, she is able to relate to their culture and language when she visits them occasionally.

Michelle Zauner struggles with her mother’s cancer. Admitting she was no longer in life made her understand herself even more. She handled the grief in a more mature way, as well as getting closer to her father. She made sure she worked through all the things her mother left behind.

My favorite memoir of this year has been this one and how I related to the beautiful moments I spent in grocery stores with my mother, as well as her commitment to maintaining a healthy diet. Even today, whenever I speak to her, she always asks me what I ate and what I am cooking for dinner as the first thing she asks me.