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45 pages 1 hour read

Please Look After Mom

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2008

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Book Brief

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Kyung-Sook Shin

Please Look After Mom

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2008
Book Details
Pages

272

Format

Novel • Fiction

Setting

Seoul, South Korea • 2000s

Theme
Publication Year

2008

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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Super Short Summary

In Please Look After Mom by Kyung-Sook Shin, when 69-year-old So-nyo Park goes missing outside Seoul Station, her family embarks on a desperate search, delving into their memories and realizing they never truly knew her. Through multiple perspectives, including So-nyo's, the novel explores themes of family, identity, and the clash between traditional and modern values. The book touches on emotional abuse, death, and other traumatic events.

Emotional

Melancholic

Contemplative

Nostalgic

Reviews & Readership

4.1

45,113 ratings

70%

Loved it

23%

Mixed feelings

8%

Not a fan

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Review Roundup

Kyung-Sook Shin's Please Look After Mom captivates with its emotional depth and unique narrative structure, exploring familial bonds and cultural dynamics. While praised for its poignant storytelling and profound themes, some readers find the shifting perspectives confusing. Overall, it's a moving and thought-provoking read.

Who should read this

Who Should Read Please Look After Mom?

Readers who appreciate heartfelt family sagas and emotional narratives will enjoy Please Look After Mom by Kyung-Sook Shin. Fans of titles like The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan or Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner will find the themes of maternal sacrifice, memory, and cultural identity especially compelling.

4.1

45,113 ratings

70%

Loved it

23%

Mixed feelings

8%

Not a fan

Character List

So-nyo Park

The 69-year-old matriarch whose disappearance outside of Seoul Station triggers the events of the story, as her family reflects on her life and enduring strength through their memories.

So-nyo’s unnamed husband, often self-absorbed and inattentive, comes to terms with the impact of his wife's absence on his life.

So-nyo’s eldest daughter, a novelist, who reevaluates her relationship with her mother and confronts her guilt following her mother’s disappearance.

So-nyo’s eldest son, who struggles with guilt over his mother's disappearance and the unfulfilled promises he made to her during his youth.

The youngest child of So-nyo, whose life choices surprise her mother, and who feels the strain of being unable to actively search for her missing mother.

An old man and So-nyo’s secret best friend, whose longstanding connection with her played a significant role in her life.

So-nyo’s sister-in-law, who frequently clashed with So-nyo, later reflecting on their relationship with regret following So-nyo’s disappearance.

Book Details
Pages

272

Format

Novel • Fiction

Setting

Seoul, South Korea • 2000s

Theme
Publication Year

2008

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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