The more I read about immigrant stories the more I see the similarities: first generations working hard for their children to apply as doctors, lawyers and engineers at top universities in their home countries; young generation forced or willinging fighting to maintain their identity, emancipated and not necessarily interested in the family achievements their parents are expecting from them. The beauty of a book based on those experiences and generational shifts resides in the way in which those stories are told.
As I was browsing for an audiobook, I´ve remember how much I loved Pachinko, one of the best books I´ve read in 2017, by Min Jin Lee and decided to give it a try to her debut novel Free Food for Millionaires.
I had the book in audioformat in the very entertaining reading by Shelly Frasier which makes a big difference. You need an involved reader and special voice to keep yourself focused on an audiobook and Frasier succeeds at a very great extent, particularly given the considerable length of the book - translated into 19 audio-hours.
Telling the story of multi-generational Korean immigrants, with a special focus on women, Free Food for Millionaire is like a story that never ends. Slow paced and populated with women character stubborn to live their life according to their rules. Even family conventions and the dued respect towards elders, particularly one own´s parents, are not enough for breaking their own path - both personal and professional.
The characters, most of them living in NYC, are easy to visualise, through their everyday interactions and life schedule. Most of them - especially the second generation - are highly educated to top American universities, working on Wall Street or dreaming to work there one day. And there is Cassey, a young 20 something, whose friendships are non-negotiable and a passion for hat making and classic English literature. Maybe ´passion´ is not necessarily the right word, as she is cool and lacking any passional outburst, but this also has to do with her upbringing and her family environment (which does not apply only to Asian/Korean immigrant families). But Cassey dreams of love that lasts for ever, and she feels attracted to white guys, a personal taste that costed her the temporary alienation from her family.
All women in the book are critically evaluating their relationships where love is not always the first choice. It goes to Cassey´s mother too, who at 43 is pregnant with the child of a man that abused her innocent approach to relationships. There are man betraying their wives and being left because there is no excuse for betrayal. But there are also women, like Cassey, betraying his boyfriend because she just don´t feel right about relationship and innocently sharing the fact with him. This complex undoing and redoing of relationships I´ve found very interesting, as it recontextualizes customs and cultural mindsets into perfectly modern life settings.
The writing flows beautifully and is almost as perfect as in Pachinko, and there are relatively complex characters and situations created but more than half into the story one may feel that the story is not heading anywhere and will never do. This is the author´s choice although the rich descriptive - modern chronicle like part may be considered a bit redundant.
Min Jin Lee is a great storyteller and I can only hope that her next book will be soon out. No matter what topic it will approach, I will make sure to read it.
Rating: 3.5 stars
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