During October 2023, I did a books and cookies session related to one book I read during the summer. Books and Cookies takes place each week during lunch time on Wednesdays and it is an event where students/teachers are able to share topics they want to discuss or showcase. An example of this could be something that they are passionate about and wanted to share with the school. In my case, I wanted to do a book review on the memoir: “Crying In H Mart” written by Michelle Zauner; because I found the memoir to be very profound. Zauner does not hide from the unpleasant and sad parts of her life. Her raw honesty and sensitivity evoked a powerful emotional response from the reader.
My presentation link is located here –> Link
I decided to structure the presentation in a chronological format in which I discussed four main aspects: the author, the book summary and analysis, my thoughts on the book and lasting impacts. Michelle Zauner (born March 29, 1989) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and author who gained recognition as the lead vocalist of the indie pop band Japanese Breakfast.
Her 2021 memoir, Crying In H Mart, spent 60 weeks on The New York Times’ hardcover nonfiction bestseller list. The memoir discusses Zauner’s relationship with her mom, Chongmi, who passed away due to pancreatic cancer when Zauner was 25. The novel delves into Zauner’s sadness and her relationship to her mother through Korean cuisine and culture, specifically her travels to H Mart, an Asian grocery store chain. The book explores Zauner’s childhood recollections, her mother’s strictness, and her own issues with identification and cultural heritage.
In my analysis, I delved into the symbolism of food as a cultural bridge within the memoir, this is because it represented Zauner’s cultural link and shared memories with her mother. Her descriptions of Korean cuisine and her mother’s cooking methods elicit powerful emotions and foster a sense of intimacy that could bring a lot of relatability to the audience. I related this part of my analysis to personal impact because at home, food is also a method in which me and my mom show each other love and care. One other aspect I went into detail in is the author’s methods of portraying the struggle of identity. The memoir also centres on Zauner’s mixed background and her mother’s Korean roots. Following her mother’s passing, the author struggles to navigate many identities and fears losing her cultural connection but learns to reconnect with them through the use of cuisine. This memoir has helped me gain a new perspective of how I view life. It has encouraged me to be gentle with myself and to take time to navigate through the complexities of what life brings and to value that life as it is finite. Whilst, I was a bit nervous about presenting my thoughts on this book because it also holds a lot of personal values and connections. I thought it was a great opportunity to tell others that it is important to be compassionate with oneself and to cherish memories created with loved ones.
