This was such a wonderful book! ( )

I wanted this to develop into more than it was but it ultimately end up feeling like "and then... and then... and then...". ( )

Pachinko is a fantastic epic highlighting complicated family histories, the struggles of wartime, fierce matriarchs, and our human need to survive. MJL's omniscient narrator follows the story of a Korean family through two countries (Korea and Japan) and four generations. She highlights one main character from each generation - Hoonie, Sunja, Mozasu, and Solomon - but does not leave the lesser characters in their communities in the background. Each character introduced has his or her own distinct raison d'être or reason for being. We are introduced to the themes of generosity, suffering, love, forgiveness, and so much more through the characters in this incredible human story of a family through the years. I found this piece to be somewhat similar to Colleen McCullough's The Thornbirds, but this story is set mostly in Asia and follows a family in the sometimes invisible immigrant working class, which paints a whole different picture... worth seeing for yourself. ( )

Clear the decks. Don’t start reading until you know you have a block of time because you will not be able to put it down. Indeed, after you turn the last page you will open it back up and begin again.....

I am a writer and a fan of historical fiction - so this was right up my alley. From the first page, I was plunged into an era and place I knew nothing about, and kept there with perfect writing and amazing imagery.

I recently finished Homegoing, which I also adored (apparently I love these long family sagas - and I am thrilled to confirm that this has become its own mini-genre so I am going to try some more...). I actually liked this one better because I felt more grounded - this was the story of generations all built around a single woman. It meant that the characters had more consistency, they were just added to as younger generations appeared. And allowed for a more cohesive story. ( )

Four generations of a poor Korean immigrant family fit he to control throne destiny in twentieth century Japan.
In the early 1900s, teenaged Sunja, the adored daughter of a crippled fisherman, falls for a wealthy stranger. When she discovers she is pregnant-and that her lover is married-she accepts an offer of marriage from a gentle, sickly minister passing through on his way to Japan. But her decision to abandon her home, and to reject her son’s powerful father, sets off a dramatic saga that will echo down through the generations. ( )