The Last Story of Mina Lee: A Novel by Nancy Jooyoun Kim

(Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

THE LAST STORY OF MINA LEE opens when Margot Lee’s mother, Mina, doesn’t return her calls. It’s a mystery to twenty-six-year-old Margot, until she visits her childhood apartment in Koreatown, Los Angeles, and finds that her mother has suspiciously died. The discovery sends Margot digging through the past, unraveling the tenuous and invisible strings that held together her single mother’s life as a Korean War orphan and an undocumented immigrant, only to realize how little she truly knew about her mother.

Interwoven with Margot's present-day search is Mina's story of her first year in Los Angeles as she navigates the promises and perils of the American myth of reinvention. While she's barely earning a living by stocking shelves at a Korean grocery store, the last thing Mina ever expects is to fall in love. But that love story sets in motion a series of events that have consequences for years to come, leading up to the truth of what happened the night of her death.

my thoughts:

Love, love, loved The Last Story of Mina Lee. What a book! Nancy Jooyoun Kim has written an excellent story about love, family, forgiveness, and history. Its riveting in every which way - the characters, the writing, and the storytelling. I was smitten the whole way through.

Margot can't seem to get a hold of her mom, Mina Lee. It's weird. Why doesn't she just answer the phone? Hmm...well, Margot decides to go check out on her mom and finds her dead. Yep, she has died and rather suspiciously. What does this mean? What happened? Margot decides to dig deep into her family's past to find out. And, wow, does she find out a lot. In fact, it seems that Margot barely knew her mother at all. The more she searches, the more we find out about Mina Lee and the life she lived.  Fascinating and entertaining, The Last Story of Mina Lee, is an unputdownable story that I just couldn't help but get caught up in. I loved getting to know Margot and Mina Lee. What an unforgettable set of characters. And their story is such a fantastic read. Loved this book to bits!

I would happily recommend The Last Story of Mina Lee to anyone and everyone looking for their next great read - you will LOVE this book!!







Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book!