I am a sucker for a multigenerational family saga, and Pachinko delivers. I was immediately drawn to the characters and felt so invested in their fates. Lee's writing is full of detail and sense of place. Being on this journey with Sunja, from her birth until old age, will stay with me for a long time. Learning about the plight of Koreans in Japan leading up to, and after, WWII was equally saddening and enlightening. The subject matter feels so relevant today, with the plight of immigrants trying to give their families a better life. What is home? Your ancestors country you've never set foot in? Where you were born? As with the game of Pachinko, the theme of how our lives are shaped by chance is a brilliantly executed.
For more reviews and bookish musings visit: http://www.bornandreadinchicago.com/