Min Jin Lee’s Pachinko was by far my favorite read of the summer. I read it in tandem with Masaji Ishikawa’s memoir A River in Darkness: One Man’s Escape from North Korea. Two completely different books, but both grapple with the intersectionality between Korean and Japanese cultures as a consequence of Japanese occupation of Korea. “Living everyday in the presence of those who refuse to acknowledge your humanity takes great courage” (Min Jin Lee). You can read my full post on this beautifully crafted novel here.