Min Jin Lee, the bestselling author of Pachinko, joins Tom’s Book Club to discuss American Hagwon, her epic new novel about family, education, immigration and the sacrifices parents make for their children. Already a bestseller in the UK and US, American Hagwon follows the Koh family across continents and generations, from Seoul to Sydney and California, as they search for a better future.
In this conversation, Min Jin Lee explores why education carries such enormous importance in Korean culture, the pressures placed on children to succeed, and whether parents can find a balance between ambition and their children’s happiness.
Min Jin Lee also talks about her meticulous research, developing complex characters, and how writing fiction can help us understand other people’s perspectives. She reflects on her journey from corporate law to becoming a novelist, the decade-long process of writing American Hagwon, and why she writes.
If you enjoy literary fiction, family sagas, contemporary Korean literature, Pachinko, and conversations about books and the ideas behind them, listen to this episode of Tom’s Book Club.
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