Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

Min Jin Lee's Pachinko is the story of one Korean family in 20^th Century Japan. Sunja is brought to Japan from Korea in 1933 as the wife of a Korean Christian minister. Her story, along with her children's and grandchildren's, are shown through hardship, war, and racism. The 2^nd class status Koreans held in Japan is explored alongside the 2^nd class status of women in both Korean and Japanese cultures. The tragedies that befall this family over four generations are the same as many, if not all, people who have been relegated as 2^nd class citizens throughout history, stretching even to today.

This is a story about suffering. Many of the characters we meet have secrets that would not only destroy them, but their entire family. One of the main themes in this book is the belief that women must suffer. They must suffer more than men and they must suffer in silence. This is not a new concept, it's been repeated and reinforced in cultures all over the world. It's a belief that has been so ingrained in women that many of them still believe it to this day. But the larger story in Pachinko is the suffering this Korean family faces while living in Japan. At this point in history, Japan was an occupying force in Korea and Koreans in Japan were Korean citizens, not Japanese citizens. We recognize the prejudices faced because many of us have faced them too, here, in America.