A young woman returns to the prairies, where she revisits her immigrant childhood and confronts a haunting guilt, in this debut novel by a brilliant new talent.
Bustle's"Ten Best New Books of the Month"
The Million's "Great Spring Books"
Parade's"Six Books Releasing this Weekly You Can't Afford to Sleep On"
Ms. Magazine's "Best New Feminist Books"
Anne Kim is a lawyer in New York, her success built on forgetting the past. When her father dies, she returns to Edmonton for the funeral and is shocked to discover he was from North Korea and left his brother behind.
As she reads the undelivered letters her father wrote to his brother about life in Canada, she is transported back to her childhood in the 1980s and 90s. She recalls the struggles her parents faced as immigrants who ran a grocery store in a rural prairie town. Anne and her brother, Charles, felt the weight of their father’s expectations: Anne was driven to excel and overachieve, whereas Charles rebelled, determined to pursue his own dreams. His rebellion created a rift that culminated in a devastating act, irrevocably shattering their family and leaving Anne overwhelmed by an inescapable guilt.
Inheritance explores the immigrant experience, the sacrifices made by both parents and children, and how trauma transfers to the next generation. As Anne journeys to the past, she emerges to finally define life on her own terms, and her story will resonate long after the final page.
Genre: Literary Fiction
Bustle's"Ten Best New Books of the Month"
The Million's "Great Spring Books"
Parade's"Six Books Releasing this Weekly You Can't Afford to Sleep On"
Ms. Magazine's "Best New Feminist Books"
Anne Kim is a lawyer in New York, her success built on forgetting the past. When her father dies, she returns to Edmonton for the funeral and is shocked to discover he was from North Korea and left his brother behind.
As she reads the undelivered letters her father wrote to his brother about life in Canada, she is transported back to her childhood in the 1980s and 90s. She recalls the struggles her parents faced as immigrants who ran a grocery store in a rural prairie town. Anne and her brother, Charles, felt the weight of their father’s expectations: Anne was driven to excel and overachieve, whereas Charles rebelled, determined to pursue his own dreams. His rebellion created a rift that culminated in a devastating act, irrevocably shattering their family and leaving Anne overwhelmed by an inescapable guilt.
Inheritance explores the immigrant experience, the sacrifices made by both parents and children, and how trauma transfers to the next generation. As Anne journeys to the past, she emerges to finally define life on her own terms, and her story will resonate long after the final page.
Genre: Literary Fiction
Praise for this book
"Jane Park's Inheritance is a searching and devastating portrait of a family reckoning with historical trauma, and the cost of migration and assimilation. A tender, finely observed, insightful debut." - Su Chang
"Inheritance provides a riveting and realistic glimpse into the complex struggles that newcomers face in the process of rebuilding their lives, communities, and sense of self. Jane Park gifts readers with an honest and nuanced protagonist, Anne, who discovers she can only move forward by going back - to her old home, childhood memories, and family secrets. Inheritance is an authentic and layered exploration of identity, sacrifice, and healing. Compelling with an emotional clarity, Park's debut novel balances heartbreak and hope in a poignant exploration of the realities that come with calling Canada our home." - Ann Y K Choi
"In an unforgettable debut novel, Jane Park has crafted a finely wrought family drama about the ties that bind and the horrific cost when one commits an unspeakable act. While set in the desolate plains and bustling cities of Canada, the indelible echoes of a Korea ripped apart by war and families forever torn haunt this novel. The Korean word Jeong can mean 'the ties that bind' and implies that sacrifices are required to be part of a family. But this untranslatable word also speaks to connection, the love that exists in families, the warmth and joy we foster and receive. The Kim family at the heart of Inheritance loses their homeland in more ways than one, endures harsh conditions in their adopted country, becomes unraveled by violence. And yet, they forge new bonds and weave themselves back together stronger, more resilient. With her beautifully written novel, Park reminds us that hope is precious, redemption is possible, and forgiveness is always within reach." - Helena Rho
"Inheritance provides a riveting and realistic glimpse into the complex struggles that newcomers face in the process of rebuilding their lives, communities, and sense of self. Jane Park gifts readers with an honest and nuanced protagonist, Anne, who discovers she can only move forward by going back - to her old home, childhood memories, and family secrets. Inheritance is an authentic and layered exploration of identity, sacrifice, and healing. Compelling with an emotional clarity, Park's debut novel balances heartbreak and hope in a poignant exploration of the realities that come with calling Canada our home." - Ann Y K Choi
"In an unforgettable debut novel, Jane Park has crafted a finely wrought family drama about the ties that bind and the horrific cost when one commits an unspeakable act. While set in the desolate plains and bustling cities of Canada, the indelible echoes of a Korea ripped apart by war and families forever torn haunt this novel. The Korean word Jeong can mean 'the ties that bind' and implies that sacrifices are required to be part of a family. But this untranslatable word also speaks to connection, the love that exists in families, the warmth and joy we foster and receive. The Kim family at the heart of Inheritance loses their homeland in more ways than one, endures harsh conditions in their adopted country, becomes unraveled by violence. And yet, they forge new bonds and weave themselves back together stronger, more resilient. With her beautifully written novel, Park reminds us that hope is precious, redemption is possible, and forgiveness is always within reach." - Helena Rho
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