Korean American writer Min Jin Lee attends a press convention held in Seoul, Aug. 8, 2022. Yonhap
Min Jin Lee, the bestselling writer of the worldwide sensation “Pachinko,” will return this fall with a brand new novel titled “American Hagwon,” specializing in the extreme Korean dedication to non-public training.
Cardinal, the writer of Lee’s new e-book, mentioned Wednesday that “American Hagwon” is scheduled for launch on Sept. 29. It marks the third installment in Lee’s “diaspora quartet,” following “Free Meals for Millionaires” (2007) and “Pachinko” (2017).
The time period “hagwon” within the title refers to Korean personal tuition corporations that present intensive after-school classes. Lee defined that her curiosity about why Koreans are so obsessive about training was a major motivation for the e-book.
The novel follows a middle-class Korean household whose lives are shattered by a betrayal and the 1997 Asian monetary disaster. Their journey takes them from Seoul to Sydney and at last to Southern California as they attempt to discover their footing once more.
“Nearly a decade in the past, I began to jot down ‘American Hagwon’ as a result of I needed to know why training is so vital to Koreans in all places,” Lee mentioned in an announcement. She famous that after ending the work, she realized the story was additionally about “the way to dwell a clever life in a world that was altering too quick.”
Lee calls herself an unintended historian as a result of she makes use of her tales to point out the truth of society. She mentioned she desires to examine the temper of contemporary life and present how individuals strive their finest to succeed even when issues are very tough.
Reagan Arthur, senior vice chairman and writer of Cardinal, described the novel as a “page-turning up to date saga” that turns complicated subjects like economics into a private household portrait.
“One household’s battle for survival is a battle that’s each common and fantastically intimate,” Arthur mentioned.
Lee rose to international stardom with “Pachinko,” which was a finalist for the Nationwide E book Award and have become a New York Occasions bestseller.
The epic story, which follows 4 generations of a Korean household residing in Japan, received reward for its highly effective portrayal of identification and resilience. Its recognition grew even additional after it was tailored into an Apple TV sequence.
