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NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • A Best Book of 2021: Entertainment Weekly • Good Morning America • Wall Street Journal • and moreFrom the indie rockstar of Japanese Breakfast fame, and author of the viral 2018 New Yorker essay that shares the title of this book, an unflinching, powerful memoir about growing up Korean American, losing her mother, and forging her own identity.In this exquisite story of family, food, grief, and endurance, Michelle Zauner proves herself far more than a dazzling singer, songwriter, and guitarist. With humor and heart, she tells of growing up one of the few Asian American kids at her school in Eugene, Oregon; of struggling with her mother's particular, high expectations of her; of a painful adolescence; of treasured months spent in her grandmother's tiny apartment in Seoul, where she and her mother would bond, late at night, over heaping plates of food. As she grew up, moving to the East Coast for college, finding work in the restaurant industry, and performing gigs with her fledgling band--and meeting the man who would become her husband--her Koreanness began to feel ever more distant, even as she found the life she wanted to live. It was her mother's diagnosis of terminal cancer, when Michelle was twenty-five, that forced a reckoning with her identity and brought her to reclaim the gifts of taste, language, and history her mother had given her.Vivacious and plainspoken, lyrical and honest, Zauner's voice is as radiantly alive on the page as it is onstage. Rich with intimate anecdotes that will resonate widely, and complete with family photos, Crying in H Mart is a book to cherish, share, and reread.

Crying in H Mart: A Memoir by Michelle Zauner

In this poignant and unforgettable memoir, Michelle Zauner explores the deep and complex bond between a mother and daughter, as seen through the lens of Korean food and culture.

Zauner, the lead singer of the band Japanese Breakfast, grew up in a Korean American family in Eugene, Oregon. Her mother, Chongmi, was a single parent who worked tirelessly to provide for her daughter. Despite the hardships they faced, Chongmi always made sure that Michelle was fed well, often cooking her traditional Korean dishes that were both comforting and delicious.

When Michelle was in her early twenties, her mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer. In the months that followed, Michelle and her mother spent as much time together as they could, cooking, eating, and talking. Through these shared experiences, Michelle came to understand her mother's life and her own identity as a Korean American in a deeper way.

Crying in H Mart is a powerful and moving story about love, loss, and the enduring power of family. It is a book that will stay with you long after you finish reading it.

Praise for Crying in H Mart:

• "A beautiful and heartbreaking memoir that will stay with you long after you finish reading it." —NPR
• "Zauner's writing is clear, concise, and evocative, and she has a knack for capturing the small details that make a story come alive." —The New York Times
• "A powerful and moving story about love, loss, and the enduring power of family." —People

About the Author:

Michelle Zauner is the lead singer of the band Japanese Breakfast. She is also a writer and essayist. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, and The Paris Review. Crying in H Mart is her first book.