Books on Korean Subjects - Older Teen to Adult

This is the fifth and final installation of my list of recommended books on Korean subjects.

Contemporary Koreans & Korean-Americans

Free Food for Millionaires by Min-jin Lee

Life in hip NYC with a modern 22-year-old Korean-American feminist struggling with jobs, money and love.

Happy Birthday or Whatever: Track Suits, Kim Chee, and Other Family Disasters by Annie Choi

Witty, poignant memoir about mother-daughter conflict in a Korean-American family in LA.

Once the Shore: Stories by Paul Yoon

Beautifully crafted short story collection of families on a fictional Korean island, from the Japanese occupation to contemporary times.

Once They Hear My Name: Korean Adoptees and Their Journeys Toward Identity by Ellen Lee, Marilyn Lammert, and Mary Anne Hess

Riveting, honest narratives from nine adoptees who grew up in white families.

Native Speaker by Chang-Rae Lee

A richly detailed novel about a 28-year-old man working as a private spy in NYC, with vivid accounts of immigrant struggles and Korean-American life.

Over the Shoulder, Underkill, and Fade to Clear by Leonard Chang

Three noir novels with a disaffected Korean-American protagonist named Allen Choice (from Choi), wrestling with identity issues while investigating crimes.

Somebody's Daughter by Marie Myung-ok Lee

A 20-year-old adoptee drops out of college to undertake a difficult journey to Korea where she tries to learn Korean, look for her birth family, and find herself.

Stop Me if You’ve Heard This Before by David Yoo

Teenage angst novel about a high school student who’s gotten used to being a loser until he develops a relationship with a popular girl.

Modern History

The Calligrapher's Daughter by Eugenia Kim

Just-released coming-of-age novel of a young girl born at the beginning of the Japanese occupation, beautifully crafted with memorable characters.

Traditional Korea

Everlasting Empire by Yi In-Hwa

Bestseller Korean historical novel in English translation, of late Chosun Dynasty court intrigue and mystery.

The Red Queen by Margaret Drabble

Parallel and interwoven narratives of an English scholar at a modern-day academic conference in Seoul and 18th-century Crown Princess Hyegyong, whose memoir the scholar reads.

Books on Korean Subjects - Ages 12-16

Contemporary Koreans & Korean-Americans

Everything Asian: A Novel by Sung J. Woo

Just-released novel of a young Korean boy new to the U.S.; charming, funny and moving depiction of the immigrant experience.

Girls For Breakfast by David Yoo

Funny, edgy story of a boy who’s the only Asian in his Connecticut high school.

Good Enough by Paula Yoo (sister of David, above)

Humorous romance novel about a teenage girl who plays violin and may not be quite the academic over-achiever her parents expect.

Necessary Roughness by Marie G. Lee

High school football player struggling to fit in when his family moves from LA to Minnesota, clashing with his more traditional father, surviving loss and finding his way.

Wait for Me by An Na

Beautifully written novel of a high schooler’s difficult coming of age, caught between a bitter demanding mother and her own desires, alternating with passages in the voice of her younger, deaf sister.

Modern History

Year of Impossible Goodbyes; Echoes of the White Giraffe; and Gathering of Pearls by Sook Nyul Choi

Trio of poignant novels about a North Korean girl and her family - forced to flee to the south as refugees, surviving the war, and traveling to the U.S. to study, based on the author's own experience.

Lost Names: Scenes from a Korean Boyhood by Richard Kim

Seven vivid scenes describing a childhood under the Japanese occupation, beautifully written.

Traditional Korea

The Color of Earth, The Color of Water, and The Color of Heaven by Kim Dong Hwa

Three gorgeous Korean graphic novels in English translation, about a young girl coming of age in a traditional Korean village, based on the author's mother's story.