Book Log 2022 #13: Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

This memoir about Zauner's difficult relationship with her mother, and how it changed once her mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, was widely praised upon publication, and rightfully so. It's a powerful and moving look at the struggles of adolescence and young adulthood, the friction between parents and children (both in general and specific to Korean culture), the power of food to build and trigger memories, and the effect grief and loss have on us as individuals and with our relationships.

I don't have a lot in common with Zauner, but like her I lost my mother to cancer when I was in my 20s. Our relationship was very different than the one that Zauner had with her mother, but there were definite commonalities between her experience and mine, and discovering those similarities made me appreciate the book that much more.