The Last Story of Mina Lee

The Last Story of Mina Lee is a lighter read that explores the complicated relationship between a single immigrant mother, Mina, and her American born daughter, Margot. Margot’s mom was a quiet single mother who worked hard to provide for her daughter. When Margot shows up at her mother’s apartment unexpectedly, her mother doesn’t answer the door or the phone. Margot finally enters her mother’s apartment she finds her dead.  From there, Margot begins her the journey to learn about her mother’s past as a Korean War orphan, her undocumented immigration to Koreatown, LA and her long hidden family identity. As she starts to uncover the past and present secrets her mother had, Mina becomes suspicious and begins to think that her mother’s death wasn’t an accident.

The book is narrated by Margot in the present as well as Mina, tracing the time period from when she arrived in the U.S. until just before her death.

The Last Story of Mina Lee was an okay read. I was particularly drawn to Margot’s discoveries about her mother. Margot herself isn’t the most sympathetic character, but you certainly understand her actions. Mina’s story was a sad one, but probably one which mirrored many immigrants’, and in this aspect, Nancy Jooyoun Kim is definitely a talented storyteller.

While I did enjoy learning about another culture, I found the pace was extremely slow especially during the second half. My interest waned at about the halfway point, and the story dragged in several spots. The writing also lacked the emotional pull I had expected.

The “mystery” part of the plot didn’t really work for me either. I found a lot of the connections to be coincidental and a little too unbelievable. Still, on the whole, it was a well-written and compelling book.

I enjoyed the mention of Korean food throughout the story, and the food scenes became an interesting part of the story for me. I could feel the connection the food had to the characters along with the love and sense of belonging it gave them.

Even though the story didn't have the emotional pull and drive I wanted, I’m glad I picked it up and liked how it all came together.