Pachinko

by Min Jin Lee · 2017

Pachinko is an epic, multigenerational historical fiction saga that follows a poor Korean family across the 20th century. Beginning in the early 1900s in a small Korean fishing village, the story follows Sunja, the daughter of a crippled fisherman, who immigrates to Japan after an unplanned pregnancy. The novel chronicles the family's struggle to control their destiny while facing systemic racism, discrimination, and the hardships of being foreigners in Japan. Through the lives of four generations, the narrative explores themes of identity, survival, ambition, and the complex relationship between one's native country and the place they call home.