Michelle Zauner’s delectable new memoir takes the reader on an immersive and deeply personal journey through the heart of South Korea, and charts Zauner’s dream of learning her mother’s native language in hopes of being able to read the diary she left behind, and to connect with her family in Seoul. From the beginning, her adventure is beset by difficulties, from the quirky apartment she rents with Peter, her husband and bandmate, to the punishing language school that leaves her in tears. Korean does not come easily to her, even as she fights stubbornly to master it, and the difficulty of living in a foreign city places unexpected new pressures on her marriage. But there are also profound new pleasures and triumphs during her year abroad: making Korean friends, exploring Seoul’s alternative underground, spending precious time with her mother’s sister, performing songs in a new language. Zauner’s voice is fierce and emotional, her prose more precise and assured than ever, and her honesty is mesmerizing, as she shares her failures and her victories with unwavering candor. Fans of Crying in H Mart will recognize her intelligence and heart on every page.
Author
Michelle Zauner
MICHELLE ZAUNER is a musician and author based in New York City. She has won acclaim from major music outlets around the world for her albums Psychopomp (2016) and Soft Sounds from Another Planet (2017). Her 2021 album, Jubilee, earned two Grammy nominations for Best New Artist and Best Alternative Music Album. She is currently on tour supporting her latest record, For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women), released in the spring of 2025. Her first book, Crying in H Mart, is an unflinching, powerful memoir about growing up Korean-American, losing her mother, and forging her own identity. It was a runaway #1 New York Times Bestseller, having spent over 100 weeks on the list and counting. In 2022, Time named Michelle one of its “100 Most Influential People.”
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