Set in World War II during the Japanese colonization of Korea, PACHINKO follows four generations of Koreans and their lives from the remote seashore village of Busan to the bustling city of Osaka. With beautiful prose and engaging storytelling, Lee weaves a captivating saga of Sunja and her extended family living through hardships during wartime. PACHINKO explores the discrimination the family faced after moving to Japan in search of a better future, the resilience of Korean women who supported their family when faced with racism and sexism, and the few opportunities Koreans have when watching their country torn apart in half.

PACHINKO is a profoundly moving story where the readers will have different takeaways depending on one's knowledge of modern East Asian history. For those unfamiliar with the rise of imperial Japan in the 20th century, PACHINKO is an excellent source that showcases the dynamics between Japan and Korea. For readers aware of this ugly past, PACHINKO hits so close to home.

Growing up in Taiwan, which was also under Japanese occupation from 1895 to 1945, I learned extensively about the atrocities of Japanese colonization during WW2 in high school. But it wasn't until reading PACHINKO that I realized Sunja's experience is also my family's experience. My grandparents speaking Japanese isn't "a cool thing they do," just like getting their education in Japan wasn't "a fun study-abroad experience." In reading about the sufferings and sacrifices Sunja made for her family, my heart aches for all my grandparents encountered but never spoke about. PACHINKO is one of those books that changed how I view my family history after reading it, and I will never be the same afterward.

PACHINKO is a book I recommend to everyone, especially those curious about the complexities of history and looking to understand the world with more compassion.