Crying in H Mart

From the indie rockstar Japanese Breakfast, an unflinching, deeply moving memoir about growing up dual-heritage, Korean food, losing her Korean mother, and forging her own identity.

‘I bawled my eyes out, but I also loved it and I hope you do too’ – Dua Lipa
‘Incredible . . . So, so emotional’ – Natalie Portman
‘Crying In H Mart destroyed me . . . It’s fantastic’ – Olivia Rodrigo

In this story of family and food, grief and joy, Michelle Zauner proves herself far more than a dazzling singer, songwriter and guitarist. With humour and heart, she tells of growing up the only Asian-American kid at her school; of struggling with her mother’s expectations of her; of a painful adolescence; and of treasured months spent in her grandmother’s tiny apartment in Seoul, where she and her mother would bond, late at night, over heaped plates of food. But, as she grew up, her Koreanness began to feel ever more distant, even as she found the life she wanted to live.

It was her mother’s diagnosis of terminal pancreatic cancer, when Michelle was twenty-five, that forced a reckoning with her identity and brought her to reclaim the gifts of taste, language, and history her mother had given her.

Vivacious and honest, Michelle Zauner’s voice is as alive on the page as it is onstage. Rich with intimate anecdotes, Crying in H Mart is a book to cherish, share and reread.

What readers are saying about Crying in H Mart:
‘I recommend this for anyone who likes memoirs, food, and who’s ever felt lonely’ (*****)
‘I was captivated by this coming-of-age story which resonated with mine and other friends’ stories’ (*****)
‘A must for people looking to be hooked in memories that span between joy, sadness and love’ (*****)